Hi,

I don't know. I'm not a great gardner. I seem to have luck with certain things and then I stick with them. Annabelle Hydrangea is one of them.

I got them YEARS ago when we lived in Illinois outside Chicago. They were planted (by the landscaper) in a shady area and we never really got any flowers to speak of. The plants did travel, however, and soon I was digging up the spreading roots (or whatever you call them) and they had little baby shoots coming off of them.

So, I planted them in the sun - full sun for a good portion of the day. They went absolutely NUTS. Huge white flower heads - spectacular - the wife had them all over the house in vases and, I have to admit, it was breathtaking.

They continued to travel and every year I was out with a sharp shovel cutting and pulling out these traveling roots. I transplanted some of the roots and they, in turn, turned into beautiful plants the next year.

Then we decided to move to Grand Beach, Michigan and it is ALL SAND here. So, in the process of getting ready to move I took these root cuttings and put them in cheap plastic pots. I continued to do this for almost three years as we took a while in planning and building. Anyway, I eneded up with about 65 pots of Hydrangea!

Here in Michigan I keep the Annabelle's in pots - large but manageable decorative ceramic pots. The plants NEVER fail to grow and they are beautiful. I put one of those wire hoop things in each pot to support the huge heads - especially after a rain.

In the fall, I take each pot in the back and dig out the plant - by this time it is marginally root bound. I agressively trim the edges of the plants (which makes more baby plants that I store or give away) and the roots (which sometimes grow through the drain holes in the bottom of the pot) and I replant the pot, mulch the top and put them in the garage for the winter. Also, I water and let them drain before putting them away. I put plywood down on the floor, put the pots on it in a row, put another piece of plywood on the top of the first row and stack them in this fashion until they are four high.

In the very early spring I take the pots out of the garage and put them in a sunny area. I have been doing this for years and, HONEST, I have NEVER lost a plant.

What I love about Annabelle is that, at least in my case, they are indestructible. Also, when I trim them back in the fall I trim ALL THE WAY down the plant so nothing even peeks over the top of the pot (which makes it nice for stacking.

I wish they did not turn from white to green in early to mid-August but I guess this is natural. Also, in the pots, sometimes they get a tad overheated and wilt but as soon as I water them they begin to recover - so quickly that I always mean to sit and watch and attempt to see them actually come out of their doldrums.

So, anyway, that's my experience and my pot method saves me from amending the actual sand around the house with soil - I stick with dune grass for the majority of the space around the house.

Now, I'm looking for a "bushy" kind of Fall-flowering plant that is as indestructible as Annabelle so I can shift pots after the Annabelles sort of fade and do a "change of season". I would store these in the garage over the winter like I do Annabelle. Anybody have any ideas?

Also, on the garage storage thing - Annabelle hydrangea and Stella-dora (sic?) day lilies are indestructible and store well. Grasses do not - I lost some Miscanthus over last winter.

That's about it.

Regards,

Arjayvee