Pest battle with Climbing Hydrangea — and how I won

I had a serious problem with roots disturbing foundations if planted too close to buildings on my Climbing Hydrangea earlier this year. Caught it late and had to work hard to bring the plant back. The experience was frustrating but educational.

Now that it's healthy again I can fully appreciate dramatic seasonal transformations from bare stems to full cover, which is remarkable. I've repositioned it in a pergola or arch creating a garden feature and improved my attention to pruning at the correct season for the specific variety. autumn foliage colour on deciduous species before leaf fall was the proof that the plant had fully recovered — genuinely beautiful. Moral of the story: inspect regularly and catch problems early.