Hello, bosgal. Unless your soil is defficient in minerals, do not try to give them anything with nitrogen. I have left my shrubs with no fertilizers -at all- some years and not one of them complained. But again, my soil is not lacking nitrogen so the shrubs do well. Hydrangeas are also not heavy feeders like roses so one application in June (1/2 cup to 1 cup of cottonseed meal, compost, composted manure) will cover the whole year for a brand new hydrangea.

Instead of adding fertilizers, keep them mulched (about 3-4") and try to maintain the soil constantly moist until the soil freezes. If the winter is dry, remember to water them once every two weeks or so. Water the same amount of water that you have been applying; no need to increase it unless the soil in this location is sandy.

Climbing Hydrangea should handle the winter well with no protection but if you feel concerned, mulch away and cover it with dried out leaves too (some people like to do that on the first year).

Luis

Thanks Luis!
BOTH plants seem to be doing ok, after just a few days in their NEW spot. Luckily, we've have plenty of fall sunshine and I have been watering regularly.
I will definitely mulch - using either leaves or actual mulch, especially because the winds have a tendency to pick up in that spot in the front of our property.
Since these are not NEW hydrangea, but they do die back in winter, I will be sure to fertilize well in the spring for the growing season.
Hopefully, I might see some blossoms some day ! Like in Spring, 2011!~
Thank you for your kind reply. Here's to some healthy-wintering over....especially in harsh New England!
Bosgal

I hate to tell you this after the effort you've gone to but you may have transplanted these unnecessarily. I seriously doubt they were in too much shade to bloom - climbing hydrangeas tolerate (and actually prefer) quite a lot of shade and still bloom well. But they tend not to bloom until very well established -- it is not atypical for these vines to wait 5-7 years before producing flowers. Moving or transplanting could set this habit back further....... I generally time initial flowering to coincide with achieving a certain height - yours are still very small plants and too small to be blooming heavily, if at all.

And I worry a bit about their new exposure. A southern exposure with a lot of hot afternoon sun is not ideal for hydrangeas. You will need to keep a close eye on watering. Also, climbing hydrangeas eventually get to be BIG and heavy woody vines (60' potentially) and not well-suited to growing on arbors or trellises. They need a wider, flatter surface to which the rootlets can attach themselves. IOW, you will need to help and train them to grow up the arbor and possibly even tie them on.