I have a love/hate affair with one member of the hydrangea clan. It's not the oak-leafs. They are easy and reliable given a hint of shade and a wee bit of protection from the worst winter winds. It is not the paniculatas, the ones with the large whitish flowers. They thrive almost anywhere. It's not the arborescens who were grandmother's white snowball bush.

My struggle is with the macrophyllas. They are the colorful, large mopheads or lacecap varieties. Several years ago I did two articles on hydrangeas. Recent experience has convinced me that my current knowledge will easily fit into one article.

Let's start by saying that 'Nikko Blue' and 'Pia', two varieties that have long populated our yards are almost always successful. 'Nikko Blue' is pink until the pH is sufficiently lowered. 'Pia' is a more compact pink variety that seems to be less pH sensitive.

Beyond that, there is a host of varieties that are rated for zone 6. I planted a pair of one of the more exotic/beautiful lacecaps on the east side of my house where they will catch the house's shadow by lunchtime. Isn't that about perfect?

Looking at the horticultural maps, zone 6 is listed to have low temperatures of 0 to Ð10 degrees. Do we ever get below zero? Yes. Do I remember the last time it happened? No. Are my fancy lacecaps happy? No.

They grow like crazy in the spring and summer. I don't prune the buds away, they disappear when the plant dies back to the ground each winter. In fairness, I can find several spectacular blooms if I root through the foliage carefully. I'm disappointed.

In all honesty, I wonder if the ratings given some of these might include a fib factor. Perhaps the breeders agree, since the rage now is to create varieties that re-bloom. In other words, they set late summer buds for a regular season bloom and then set some buds on new wood and continue blooming.

I'm trying to sort through the hype here, too. The much-advertised re-bloomer is 'Endless Summer'. The distribution of this one is tightly controlled and it is priced accordingly. I am not ready to make a judgment yet.

For those of you without adequate financial coverage, there is a generic version called 'All Summer Beauty'. The claim is that it is nearly identical. It is somewhat effected by pH. Again the jury is still out at my house.

Current catalogs suggest the near term arrival of re-blooming varieties. As one who has planted a host of re-blooming daylilies and bearded iris that have fallen short unless in unattainably perfect conditions, seeing will be believing.

My best guess is that time will provide the reliable macrophylla hydrangeas I long for. Until then I will search for ones that I can love while meeting many who seem to hate me.