I had a PG at our last house that did marvelous until I started growing ornamental trees around it plus an oak. That ended it after a few years. I did take cuttings and brought to the new house 16 years ago. I finally put it in the ground after being in a pot for the first 3 or 4 years here. It did good but again too shady - it is dead now BUT I started four new plants in a sunny location today. Maybe next year they will bloom. Sorry I don't have pictures of it in its glory years at the old house - film era.

Phantom on the other hand is a tall and fast growing paniculata. Mine is in a sunny location but was bordered by two Okame cherries (I cut one down so the side with the remaining cherry doesn't bloom as well). I have cut it hard the last couple of years after letting it grow with reckless abandon for its first few years. I think the blooms were giant when it was young or is it a perception based on plant size to bloom size?

This summer on the sunny side

Not a vivid pink that I recall

In 2016 it looked very good before the cherry trees took over.

Wow hc, that is one giant hydrangea!! Yeah it seems like the flowers were fuller/larger younger with fewer stems. Sounds like you had quite the journey with the cuttings over the years; I admire your patience using the cuttings :). Thank you for sharing the pics and info, that was helpful and informative.

I hate cutting all the hydrangeas but it seems like they bloom larger with fewer stems. Here's my mother's Limelight I bought for my dad (he passed five years ago so it is hers now).

Mine in comparison is a bigger shrub because I don't cut it but the blooms seem tiny in comparison. Hers gets a lot more sun too.

I did find an old picture of my PG before it got shaded out at this house. This was in 2011

Not a lot of blooms due to shade.

I don't know if one is PG and the other might be Bombshell. Hard to tell.

My biggest PG I started from cuttings a few years ago, no blooms yet.

Looks like a beautiful limelight keeping the memory of your dad alive. Interesting how the blooms are tiny when left alone compared to reducing stem count. Any different in fall color with the leaves for peegee and phantom?

Probably not a lot of difference in color between the two hydrangeas for fall color.

Suzanne, Wow!

Wow. Big blooms and still holding upwards instead of flopping (a corner location probably helps; good weather too). Must be a late bloomer if the picture was taken today and the blooms are still white! Thanks for sharing, Suzanne.

The picture was from a week or so ago, here is today’s update after a few nights of temps in the 50’s