I’ve never been accused of being conformist, indeed some people refer to me as the ‘garden rebel.’ I’m a stout practitioner of pushing the limits and boundaries when it comes to gardening – hence the referral to ‘Zonal Denial. It says hardy to Zone 7 – I think I’m going to test that theory in my Zone 5 garden!
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey’ was discovered at Briggs Nursery in 1999, and is a sport off of another popular plant commonly referred to as ‘Pee Wee.’ She is a dwarf cultivar, maintaining a compact stature of approximately 1.3m x 1.5 when mature. Little Honey emerges with a luscious yellowy chartreuse hue to her oak shaped leaves and in mid summer produces 13-15cm panicles of beautiful pristine white flowers, similar to other members of H. quercifolia. The fall bears witness to deep burgundy hues in the foliage, making this a truly all-season worthy garden specimen. An added feature is its exfoliating bark that increases as the plant ages. It is nothing short of a spectacular specimen plant, diminutive though she is!
As with many members of this genus, it appreciates placement with dappled shade, with well draining, humus enriched soil. Hardiness tends to fluctuate, some reporting Zone 5, while others place it more within the Z6-7 ratio. Mine is in a pot where her diminutive, demure beauty can be fully appreciated. It remains protected for most of the growth season and is then set in a nook where the garage meets the house, allowing it protection from the harsh winter winds. SO far, so good!
Specs:
Partial shade with well draining, humus enriched soil. 1.3m by the same. Fabulous Spring and Fall colours ensure this one causes a stir in the garden all season long. What more could a gardener possibly ask for!
4 comments:
Yay, you! I had a Little Honey, but it didn't survive for me, but I suspect that was purely my fault. I should have grown it on in the house for a winter, or taken it to my friend's greenhouse to overwinter. I will try again, because that foliage besots me!
Hello there my amazing garden pal: )! .. Ah ! Little Honey I have been besotted by this beauty for quite a few years .. I was on a waiting list with Garden Import about 4 years back ... I was so excited and so ready to take this little beauty on .. then a thing called "crop failure" happened and a dagger to the heart hit me .. along with too much information on why it "might" not like Kingston , add a helping of hesitation backed up with "can I take it's failure after becoming ATTACHED to it ??
Ergo .. a non attempt at pursueing this wonderful problem child .. BUT .. I am THINKING about it again thanks to YOU ! : )
Naughty Garden Pal ! winkw wink
Joy
PS .. I was SO happy to get your e-mail : )
I had a tiny 'little honey' a few springs ago. Due to my neglectful ways it promptly died. i will try again. lol
My fingers are crossed that it survives the winter. Zonal Denial rules!
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