gardenfreak,i used miracle grow mix but going to change next year as i have to root prune them, i'll use some shultz premium and amend that with some other mixes to keep the soil from drying out to fast. The pots are probably around 25 gallons or so but not exactly sure, i might also try a different container as well although similar but more straight sided not sure i have to see the costs. At end of seson i usually let the soil dry some and the containers get much lighter to move with hand truck, my uncle used to grow 1 tree much bigger than mine that had a nice size trunk but it was a lot more work as him and his son would bury in yard every year they did this many many years(faamily tree) long story. So the way i do is actually easier for me instead of bury in yard because i would have to bury too many or wrap and cover to many our winters can be nasty. To me there nothing special growing in pots its kinda cheating as i just move them with hand truck the folks that grow them inground and wrap or bury many of them thats the real growers in my opinon and much more work they deserve the credit! it just works best this way for me. Thanks for looking and the forum is nice to see ones options as there are several different ways to choose from. Merry Christmas and Healthy New Year Martin

Yes, the last pic has a bush clematis in the foreground. I found that at a garden center and it took a few years to establish itself, but it's a pretty cool little plant. The Great Dane is now going on 5 years old and we have a new garden helper who will turn 3 in mid-January. He is a black English Labrador who wreaks havock on my gardens in winter when I take the fencing down. He runs through them, pees on things, chews on things... I can't wait to put the fencing back as soon as I start to see signs of spring. But the gardens seem to take all the abuse pretty well, so I guess all his abuse isn't too awful. Now when things wake up and start growing again, that's when I am very protective of the plants. I have heard that we will have a mostly mild winter along the PA/MD line so hopefully spring will come early, as long as it's not too wet.

Most bigleaf hydrangeas - like the one in your photo - bloom on growth that was produced the previous season. So the buds for next year's flowers are already present. Pruning now (or in spring) will remove them......no flowers. The flowers bud can also be damaged by winter cold or late spring frosts. Not often a big problem in zone 7 and higher but last winter was unusually cold in many areas and flowering was limited for many gardeners. Generally my recommendation for these types of hydrangeas is to avoid any pruning if at all possible. Site the plant so that it can be allowed to grow to size unimpeded. Deadheading (removing old flowers) and removing dead wood/stems is not exactly the same as pruning and can be done at any time. More extensive pruning can be done but typically involves at least a partial loss of flowering. Here is a link that might be useful: how to prune hydrangeas

OH that is pretty, I love the clear background and the orange highlight against the blue sky. Nice contrast.