Hydrangea advice, please (or possibly rose!)

LesleyH

Good evening everyone

I have a lightly shaded area opposite my front door and would like to plant there a bushy shrub which will flower for as long as possible. I’m thinking white hydrangea but am unsure which variety to choose. I’d like one grows a decent height. Does anyone have any suggestions? Or I did think of a rose, any colour but red, one that grows tall and bushy and fragrant if possible. 
Thank you in advance
Lesley

Fairygirl

Hi @Lesleya-z- I know nothing about roses, so I can't comment on those, but hydrangeas will do well providing they don't get too dried out.. There are lots to choose from, depending on the flower type you prefer, and some have a change of colour as the flowers fade.
I grow the oak leaf ones - which get to a good size in the right conditions. They have the paniculata type flowerheads, and they stay white.  Great autumn colour too.
I've also just bought two called Soeur Therese, which are slightly different as they have the bigger, pom pom type heads.

Oak leaf foliage as it turns


The flowers


The new ones - Soeur Therese

cassie.a.stewart

Fairygirl said:

Hi @Lesleya-z- I know nothing about roses, so I can't comment on those, but hydrangeas will do well providing they don't get too dried out.. There are lots to choose from, depending on the flower type you prefer, and some have a change of colour as the flowers fade.
I grow the oak leaf ones - which get to a good size in the right conditions. They have the paniculata type flowerheads, and they stay white.  Great autumn colour too.
I've also just bought two called Soeur Therese, which are slightly different as they have the bigger, pom pom type heads.

Oak leaf foliage as it turns


The flowers


The new ones - Soeur Therese

Off topic but, I've never really been a fan of Hydrangeas... @Fairygirl you've just made me want one! Those leaves are gorgeous😍

Loxley

That looks like a macrophylla type, FG, I do like it though.

I'd recommend a H. paniculata cultivar, they're pretty much all good but Limelight is a classic. Starts off a limey green then white through summer, getting hints of pink in autumn. I did the Derby Hydrangea collection tour this year, and the paniculata types were all looking excellent, the oak leaved types were mainly flopping, H. 'Annabelle' was slightly droopy too as it tends to be. H. paniculata (and Annabelle) can be cut to a low framework in spring, or cut to a higher framework if you want it bigger (easy to keep in check).

Fairygirl

It is indeed a macrophylla @WillDB.
I only grow whites  - I hate the colour of the pink  and blue ones. The oak leaf ones I have are the standard species one, but there are a few named varieties.
There's a huge bank of [probably] Limelight near the nursery I use, in the front garden of a house there. It looks stunning through autumn. 

I've always grown mine quite hard - they don't get fed in any way shape or form. They can get a bit floppy if you're too kind to them, but our growth is slower here too, due to the general conditions, which helps. 

LesleyH

Thank you so much for your advice Fairygirl, those look stunning. I was thinking of Limelight which I’m sure would look really good in my slightly shady area. But I had heard that it only flowers for 2 months?

Fairygirl

Two months is pretty good going for any shrub. The advantage of hydrangeas is that you can leave the heads on, and they provide further interest. The emerging heads are also beautiful 
If you want a succession of flowers, you'd need to consider adding some perennials, bulbs, or similar to the area 

Even roses dont flower indefinitely, although there may be some suggestions. @Marlorena is the rose expert here, so hopefully she'll see this and be able to offer some ideas 

LesleyH

Yes, you’re so right, I want it all ways! I think that limelight would look lovely in semi shade. Thank you so much for your help, will follow your advice 🌸

Fairygirl

I had hoped @Marlorena would see this thread @Lesleya-z, but the notifications weren't working apparently, so she maybe didn't pick it up. She would certainly be able to offer you ideas about roses if you prefer them. 
We've just been discussing hydrangeas on another thread too -
 https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1033609/white-hydrangea-sugesstions/p1

Omori

For a rose, you could look at 'The Ancient Mariner'.

Marlorena

...yes indeed.... although my choice for the location would be 'Blush Noisette'.. as it's tall, bushy, fragrant of cloves... and healthy... and needs no support structure... it also has continuous bloom throughout the summer.. it looks especially good in September..   needs little care except deadheading which is essential... it flowers in large clusters of small individual flowers, the blooms are blush white... 

...sorry I didn't see the earlier notification...

...I like the pot the Hydrangea is in above, it looks to have been put together with some expertise...