You could build a raised bed. The heavy clay could be creating a sort-of bathtub effect where the un-amended sides leak water into the amended area and fill it up with too much water.

I was just thinking how come I do not have the same problem with my black clay soil.... no slope to help the plants here though. Maybe we just do not get that much hard rain in short periods of time...

Thanks, Luis!

The strange thing is, ALL of my other hydrangeas LOVE all this rain!!! Just my Snow Mountain... sigh! WHY!?!?!?

Hi Ostrich - How difficult will it be to re-amend the soil with sand or pea pebbles & a few more handfuls of cotton burr compost ... which means pulling your princess back up ... ouch!

I have done this on a tiny scale, with my Lavender & Clems ... as you know, they hate wading in muddy water LOL!

I seem to have similar problem with LL(inside foliage/yellowing/dropping) - George thought could be the heat radiating from the river-rock-flooring in the site he's located. QF is just beside LL & is just as dense a bush as LL ... not a problem with QF! I raised LL's naturally, splaying lower limbs by confining with stakes & ties ... still have yellowing inner leaves ... baffling!!!

Good luck on solution to Princess SM's problem! Â;)

Hey ditas, I think that your Princess Kyu is much less of a Diva than my Princess Snow!!! LOL!

When you said LL, do you mean Limelight or Little Lamb?

Isn't it annoying when you have one H doing so well but the other one right next to it doing just the opposite?!

Ostrich, I don't want to alarm you for nothing, but just in case check underside of the leaves of your SM for the insects activity.

Oh! That is a good idea, George... thank you!

What kind of insects typically would do that? I am just trying to see what specifically I should be looking out for?

Ostrich - She does seem like a very well behaved Princess until a tornado or a similar event comes by ... scares me when she shows off her balletic talents even pulls off the stake when she gets carried away with her pirouettes!!! LOL Will get scarier when her pretty head gets full!

'Wonder how long it will take for her limb to get thicker, she'd look prettier w/o the tree stake/rope this tornado season!

LL is my (not so) Little Lamb. I just acquired Lime Light 3 wks ago - will temporarily live in a 5gal. pot until I brave digging up old Nikko from the too sunny site ... will be her home!

Hi George - the first thing I thought to check on LL's yellowing inner/lower leaves, would be the possibility of pest ... it is also now, happening to old Nikko as she gets denser with her foliage getting really larger ... no pests just not much light in the center/inner canes! LL looks very healthy & busy producing more small cauliflorets as well as a few yellowing inner leaves daily - DK why! Â:( ... vitamin deficiency perhaps?