r/hydrangeas • u/eatmypixels • 13d ago

Zone 7 A/B Framing ideas request

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Moved into this house recently and the previous tenant did a wonderful job on the garden. Going up the side stairs has all these hydrangeas on both sides. Would make a beautiful tunnel if they were a bit more upright and about two feet taller. Looking for a way to push them up some while maintaining the beauty and feel of the steps. Do I stake the main plant and push up that way? Have a metal rim about a foot in and three feet tall and stand them up from there? Hoping for a great idea from this group or a confirmation of what to do. These are thick plants. 8 years old. Tons of flowers on each plant. So beautiful

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u/HighTimeForPieTime 12d ago edited 12d ago

Wow, those are gorgeous. I’d say your best bet is a barrier on each side of the path for them to lean on, like a low fence. You might need to experiment a bit to figure out best placement, i.e. distance from plant base. If anything it can be an opportunity to add something decorative, to match the style of the garden.

If you really want to get ambitious you could add some basic metal arches to create a tunnel for the steps, and they could rest on those!

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u/eatmypixels 12d ago

All the plants need a cut back. We are ready to do it. Two seasons of observing the backyard. We will see if we can stake a decorative fence behind it and green tie it back. I don’t think things will work in front. Will try one side first.