Where are you located, and how long has the plant been in the ground? Normally you can stay ahead of the game with early morning waterings, but that depends on some things.

If the plant gets too much sun, the leaves in direct contact with the sun will get scorched while the others be unaffected. The strength of the sun differs greatly depending on your location. In the South, you usually need to provide afternoon shade in the summer months starting around 12pm more or less while in the northern half of the country they can take more sun.

There is also another problem that is common at this time of the year, wilting of leaves. Wilting occurs when the leaves loose moisture faster than the roots can absorb moisture. Most hydrangeas will get over a wilting episode on their own (by the next morning) if the soil has moisture. If the wilting episode looks extreme, apply about 1/2 gallon of water to the soil immediately. Otherwise, insert a finger to a depth of 4". If it feels dry or almost dry, apply 1/2 gallon of water; otherwise, do not water and check it again in the morning. If still wilted in the morning, give the soil 1/2 gallon of water.

The link below shows what a wilted hydrangea looks like. Note that in the picture I selected, the soil does not have mulch. To keep the soil moist longer and to reduce the frequency of waterings, it may be a good idea of apply 3-4" of organic mulch thru the drip line.

Luis

Here is a link that might be useful: The wilted hydrangea look

Here is a picture of what my hydrangea looks like. I did give it a very good soaking of water this morning and will try to soak it regularly from now on. Until now, I would give it a good spray of water every other day or so. We have had a bit of a drought here, so maybe it's just a watering problem?

Looks fine to me, so water just enough to keep it looking like that. Kind of looks like a Penny Mac or a Nikko to me. It is a young plant, so it will look better each year once it is more established. Some light scorching around a few leaf edges is no problem, and neither is some slight leaf discoloration here and there. New leaves grown in the plant's current location will be better suited to their environment than ones grown at a store, nursery, etc...