I just purchased a beautiful Limelight Hydrangea! I have heard you can pot it and keep outdoors. I bought a large pot made of synthetic resin, planted it as a patio planter. My concern is what do I do in the winter? Do I cut the plant down, just keep it as big as it is? Leave it outside/bring it in, or put it in a protected area outside? It's too beautiful to risk losing, HELP! Sue Williams Mchenry, Illinois

There are many hydrangea cultivars that are not hardy outside during Illinois winters. I do not know if this one is hardy or not. If it is you can sink the pot into the ground so the soil in the pot is level with the soil outside the pot. This allows the soil in the pot to freeze and thaw at the same rate as the ground. In the spring - before new growth starts prune off the above ground parts that die back and it should regrow from stems and roots that lived. If you keep the pot above the ground you need to mulch very well so soil freezes at the same rate as ground. If plant is not winter hardy, you need to bring inside and keep it cool and in full sun (a greendhouse would be helpful).

Reputable garden centers in both Naperville and Princeton Illinois sell the Limelight Hydrangea as a shrub which can be planted outdoors. McHenry is furthur north, so you might check your local garden center to see if they are selling it, I will bet they are. However, we have our limelights on the north side of our house and they are not getting enough shade to bloom properly. So they need Full Sun to part shade, not too much shade.