A long list of hip hydrangeas will add beauty to a garden

Q: The best thing in my garden this summer is hydrangeas. Could you please recommend a few more different kinds than the big blue mop-heads? What can I plant around hydrangeas so the bed doesn't look so bare in the winter?

A: Hydrangeas are newly fashionable, so you have plenty of kinds to choose from. Here are a few special ones that will spice up your hydrangea bed:

Oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia) is the one hydrangea with really good-looking leaves plus great fall color. The leaves are large and toothed; the flowers are white cones that fade to ivory in autumn. 'Snowflake' has particularly fluffy double flowers.

Hydrangea aspera has large, soft, tropical-looking leaves and pretty purple, blue and white lace-cap flowers.

There's even a climbing hydrangea, H. anomala petiolaris, with heart-shaped leaves, flat white blossoms and clinging areal rootlets if you'd like to coat an arbor or fence in hydrangea bloom.

Peegee hydrangeas (H. paniculata) are as old-fashioned as the mop-heads, with big cones of white flowers. They look great flopping over a fence or grown in a big pot.

Hydrangea aborescens 'Annabelle' is one of my favorites, with fat, snowball-like flowers that fade to soft green.

Then there are the new mop-heads, such as H. macrophylla 'Lady in Red' (purple leaves, red flowers) and 'Limelight' (soft green blossoms). I'm not sure yet whether these are marvelous plants or merely marketing marvels. 'Lady in Red' has her own Web page at www.ladyinredhydrangea.com.

Since hydrangeas are bare sticks in winter, good companions are evergreen plants that share hydrangeas' need for rich, moist soil and mostly shade. Autumn ferns (Dryopteris erythrosora), pulmonarias and heucheras are all good choices. I like to grow monkshood and meadow rue in with hydrangeas for some willowy height to contrast with the rounded shapes of the hydrangeas.

Q: I have garden-loving visitors arriving from Maine, and don't have any idea which public gardens look good this late in the summer. Also, could you please suggest one or two really special nurseries worth a visit for knowledgeable gardeners?

A: That is one tough question, for even as summer winds down, our area is rich in beautiful gardens and tempting nurseries. The answer depends so much on the interests of your guests — but here's a shot at it to get you started.

The Japanese garden at Washington Park Arboretum (www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/japanesegarden.htm) and Kubota Gardens (www.kubota.org/) in South Seattle don't depend so much on flowers for their beauty, so are good choices for late summer. Hands down, my favorite garden to visit any time of the year is Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island (www.bloedelreserve.org). Plan to make a day of it, for the house is open as well as acres of formal and naturalistic gardens.