Tim Flood thinks oakleaf hydrangeas are wonderful plants. He has seen them thrive in parts of Milwaukee, Chicago and Madison, and heâ??s tried three times to grow them at his home in Watertown – without success.
“I suppose if I were to plant one on the east side of a nice brick structure with just the right micro-climate, I might get it to survive,” says Flood, a self-described “plant nerd” who has a bachelorâ??s degree in ornamental horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is vice president of the McKay Nursery Co. in Waterloo. “So I am not giving up.”When it comes to growing trees, shrubs and perennials, most experts agree you shouldnâ??t throw in the trowel too quickly.
“Plants can fail for many reasons,” says Ed Lyon, director of UW-Madisonâ??s Allen Centennial Gardens. “And many of those reasons can be avoided.”