Hydrangea issues

[CarcerDun]

I have a well established hydrangea in my garden, we moved in a few years ago and am just getting to tackle it. It's lovely but underneath and around it there are thousands of bulb flowering plants. I have started digging them up to give the hydrangea some space but I'm wondering how much I am damaging the hydrangea. I can't leave them there as it looks a mess. How hardy will the hydrangea be?

[greenelephantscarf]

I would leave it well alone. just giving it a prune/deadhead and a shrub feed.
if you don't want the bulbs cut off their foliage and they will grow weaker and dissapear over time.

[SwedishEdith]

This post has been hidden until the MNHQ team can have a look at it.

When did hydrangeas become controversial?

[greenelephantscarf]

what? since when is gardening advice controversial?
I didn't even swear!

[Wauden]

It might be best to leave the bulb plants alone, really. They can co-exist.
Curious about the deleted post!

[CarcerDun]

Wauden, the problem is that leaving the bulbs there looks really messy and is stopping me getting to the well established weeds that are also entrenched. Hmm I might try taking them out bit by bit and seeing how they go.

I am very intrigued at the deleted post! 🤣

[CarcerDun]

Greenelephant... 😲

[greenelephantscarf]

ah, now I know - I mentioned a pruning technique which sounds macabre to a computed algorythm...

a well. op give the hygraenga a shrub feet and prune it slightly. the bulbs I would leave tbh their foliage will dissapear short after flowering is over and the bush will take over.

[greenelephantscarf]

tbh I would just mulch a layer of compost and bark to make it look tidy.

[CarcerDun]

Love the malicious pruning element!

Thanks all, will continue to try and get them out whilst (tentatively) coping with the bulbs.

[LouMumsnet]

Evening all.

Thanks for the report. We're really sorry - we've got no idea why @greenelephantscarf's post was hidden by our NightWatch team. We think it was an accidental case of fat fingers (rather than green fingers, which would be more appropriate on here).

We've reinstated it now for you so please do forgive us.

[CarcerDun]

Seriously MNHQ there is more agro in gardening then the rest of Mumsnet, so good call. Oh, wait.😉

P.s. do I win the most controversial thread in gardening ever????!

[CarcerDun]

Greenelephant that makes sense, I think then that the bulbs that are too ingrained I might just have to keep cutting down till they lose interest.
Thank you, although I am slightly disappointed by the lack of terrorist subterfuge in your original post 🤣

[Wauden]

So that's what the offending word was!

[ppeatfruit]

It's nice to leave the plants under shrubs for the wild life, hedgehogs etc. they need to be able to move through undergrowth. They have managed to eat almost all the slugs and snails in my garden, so I keep the 'edges' for them. I feed them leftover cat food. Oh my hydrangeas are happy too.

Yes as greenelephant says put a mulch down and relax !!

[Wauden]

Deadhead.
There, I SAID IT.