INPUT ARTICLE: Article: One of the most popular hydrangea species, Hydrangea macrophylla, does best in hardiness zones 69, with minimum winter temperatures of -10 to +25F (-23 to -7C). A few species can tolerate zone 4 conditions (-30F/-34C), including H. arborescens and H. paniculata. Hydrangeas may suffer when planted in hot temperatures or frost. Container-grown hydrangeas are best planted in the garden during spring or fall. Bare root hydrangeas without soil should be planted in early to mid-spring so they have time to adapt to their new location. Ideally, the hydrangea should get several hours of sun each day, but be protected from the hottest afternoon sun by a wall or other barrier. If this is not possible in your yard, select a location with bright partial shade throughout the day. Hydrangeas can grow to become 4' by 4' bushes (1.2m x 1.2m). Research your species and variety online if you want a more accurate idea of how large your hydrangeas will grow. Mix compost into your soil if it is low in nutrients. If your soil is dense or mostly clay, mix in pine bark or other mulch material in order to prevent water from forming pools around the plant. Roots can become tangled or clustered together, which makes it harder for them to grow out into the soil once they're planted. This can limit the amount of nutrients the plant absorbs. To loosen your roots, cut a few of the outside roots, then gently shake the roots apart. Once the inner roots are free, they will be able to spread out into the soil. Dig a hole about as deep as the root ball or potting container, and two or three times as wide. Carefully lift the hydrangea and place it in the hole. Be careful not to scrape or break the roots while moving the plant. Press the soil gently together as you fill the hole to remove air pockets and provide support to hold up the plant. Stop when the hold is approximately halfway filled. Water the half-filled hole thoroughly, then leave it to drain for at least 15 minutes or until there is no standing water. Fill in the rest of the hole in the same way you were filling it before, pressing down small portions of soil at a time. Stop when the roots are covered. Do not bury any more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the trunk or stem. Newly transplanted plants may not yet have roots functioning at full capacity, so it's important to water them well. Water once more when you're finished filling the hole, then water daily for the first few days after planting. Once the hydrangea is established in its new location, water whenever the soil is about to dry out. Make sure that you give it a deep watering each time, not just a sprinkling of water. The soil should be kept somewhat moist, but not soggy. Hydrangeas do not usually require additional care, and often grow or bloom without difficulty. If your hydrangeas wilt or dry out, construct a shade to block the sun during the afternoon. You can also try using mulch. If the winter forecast predicts unusually cold or prolonged frost, or if you are planting in a lower than recommended hardiness zone (see above), you may need to provide winter protection for your hydrangeas.

SUMMARY: Check your species' hardiness zone. Know the safest times to plant. Choose a place in your yard that gets a mixture of sun and shade. Allow enough space for it to grow substantially. Prepare rich, porous soil. Loosen the roots. Plant the hydrangeas in a spacious hole carefully. Fill the hole halfway with soil, a little at a time. Water the hole, let drain, then fill the rest of the hole with soil. Water the plant frequently for the first few days. Reduce the watering but keep the soil damp.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Two-year-olds are famous for saying "no" like it's going out of style, because they've only recently learned that such a thing is possible, and the new chances for independence it provides are fun and exciting. Two-year-olds are also known for being selfish and thoughtless. However, they're on to something: it's okay to say no. What separates adult usage of the word is that we can learn when it's appropriate and when it isn't. Saying no when you just don't feel like doing something is okay, as long as the thing you're being asked to do won't reflect on your job or school performance. There's nothing wrong with wanting time for yourself instead. Saying no because you don't have the time to meet a commitment is okay. Others often don't realize how difficult making such a commitment would be, given your schedule; some people do know, and are only asking just in case, even though they know you'll probably decline. Saying no to a situation that makes you uncomfortable is perfectly okay. You never have to step outside your personal comfort zone to accommodate the wishes of anyone else (except, perhaps as an active-duty soldier following orders). Saying no when you're asked to buy something is okay. There are many different specific reasons a person might find it hard to say no to others, but the common thread that ties them all together is worry worry about what the outcome will be if you say no. It's normal to worry about decisions that you make, but it's important to understand two things: first, worrying won't change what happens after you've made your choice; second, worries should never stop you from acting in your own best interests to begin with. No matter what your reason for being scared to say no, it stems from your worries about what will happen when you do. Will people still like you? Will you miss an important opportunity? Will you seem lazy, uncaring, or incompetent? Acknowledge that you don't say no because you worry, then accept the fact that worrying never helps anything, regardless of the outcome. Like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle, you're a vital part of the landscape around you it wouldn't be complete without you in it. This applies no matter whether you're always out with friends, or you sit at home and hide all day. The fact is, no matter who you are, your presence in the social landscape is valid. Furthermore, the decisions you make have an effect on that landscape. This means you owe it to yourself and those around you to make honest decisions, for the betterment of everyone whether they realize you're helping or not. Worrying about what will happen when you say no is symptomatic of a larger problem: worrying about the power you wield over those around you. Acknowledge that you wield that power no matter what you do or say. Though people vary in terms of personality, opinions, and attitudes, one thing they all have in common is a presence in the social landscape around them, same as you. It's an immutable fact of living in human society. Therefore, controlling and channeling your own presence in such a way as to help you be happy is really the only sensible choice there is. It's not as though you have some great and terrible reserve of influence nobody else has: if you say no, you're only exercising the same power everyone around you also has. How they react to your decision is their business, not yours. You have every right to set boundaries for yourself. After all, your friends do, and people still like them. In fact, being assertive or even aggressive about what you want won't make you hated or despised. The only thing that will make that happen is openly treating those around you as though they're inferior. Saying "no" isn't an expression of superiority; it's an expression of mutual respect. By itself, saying no isn't rude, mean, or uncaring. We attach those qualities to it when we speak in a rude, mean, or uncaring way while telling someone no. There's no reason you can't firmly decline and still be pleasant and polite; therefore, there's no reason to fear making a poor impression because you say no, as long as you're mindful of how you say it. In other words, once you understand that it really is okay to say no, the rest is just learning how to say it politely.

SUMMARY:
Understand when to say no. Learn why it's hard to say no. Accept your power and importance. Accept that others are the same. Understand that "no" isn't cruel.