What zone are you in exactly? Here in zone 3, my hardy hydrangeas only get to maybe 2 feet tall and wide. With a marginally hardy plant, it won't get to be the size that it normally would in a warmer zone. So I don't think you'll have to worry a lot about pruning it, unless you want it smaller than 24".

Laurie

I have several Nikko Blues. They are not the most dependable bloomers, but I have found the following to be true:
They grow to 2 1/2 or 3 feet once established (in zone 5).
You should not uncover them until at least May 1. Late frosts are hard on them.
You should not prune anything until at least June 1. It's hard to tell what's dead before then. You may be cutting off the old wood that would bloom this year.

Laurie - what hardy plants do you have? I tried an Oak Leaf and it lasted only a couple of years than was gone. I'm a zone 3 also and would love to have these plants. Would you share your info and where you have them planted etc.... Thanks

Yes, that variety blooms only on the previous season's wood. If the old wood is killed off by a bad winter then you won't get any blooms the following season even if the plant comes back. You can tell when all the new growth starts only at the base of the plant. I have a very large Nikko Blue here in Massachusetts that blooms sporadically depending how harsh the winter was. I don't cover it though. They make a variety now call "endless summer" that blooms on new and old wood.

Echoes, sorry it took me so long to answer you, but I usually hang out in the Far North forum, and only check in here now and then.
The hydrangea I have is 'Tardiva'. I've had it for about 4 or 5 years now and it gets to about 2.5'. I have it planted on the south side of the house, but partially under an over-hang of the deck. This way it gets morning sun, but by noon is fully shaded. I don't winter protect it in any way other than shovelling the snow from the deck on top of it. My only gripe about it is that the grasshoppers LOVE these flower buds and rarely do I ever see the blooms in a dry year :^(

Here's a pic of the flowers just starting to open up.

I tried Pee Gee, but I think I had it in too sunny a spot and it didn't make it. Also 2 years ago I tried Endless Summer, but unfortuneatly it didn't survive even one winter.

Laurie

We decided to make flower beds this year. I have had success with Gladioli over the past two years (in my garden) so I decided to concentrate mostly on bulbs in my beds. Having spent enough money on soil, compost, peat, fertilizer, Myke and garden tools, I bought a bunch of bulbs from Walmart.

Without knowing enough (I realize now) about bulbs, I planted them ALL! My Glads are fine and I had a few Grape Hyacinths from last year come up and flower (one that I had forgotten in the garden to my surprise) but none of the other bulbs that I planted are showing any signs of life.

What should I do? The bulbs, corms and rhizomes I planted are : Lily of the Valley, Mixed Dutch Irises, Mixed Freesia, Stargazer Lilies, Mixed Platycodons, Calla Lilies, Mixed Lilies, and Mixed Hostas. Some of these bulbs were sprouted in the packs, some not. I also planted a Hydrangea bush, that had leaves in the beginning but they seem to have fallen off, and no sign of new ones. They have been mostly planted for about 3 weeks now. Should I be patient and leave them in the beds or pull them up and replant in September? Will leaving them in the beds all summer rot the bulbs?

Which of these bulbs should be planted in the fall and left to winter? I now know that Grape Hyacinths should stay in the ground, that's why they didn't flower the first year. I already know to dig up my Glads and bring them in.

I would be looking for some pretty specific instructions for each type of bulb. I want to get this right. I can fill in the spots (if I dig them up) with other flower seeds and vegetable plants.

Thanks for any help, I guess I'm desparate at this point.

I just planted some twist n shout, and vanilla strawberry and a few limelight'. I'm in z4 I'm hopeing they do well. I've been doing some searching it looking , it looks like the Annabelle's are z3 ,even this year Invincibelle Spirit which is pink. Also limelight is an award winner and blooms on new wood and is z3. I think there may be a few others. I am new at these so I have a lot to learn. But they sure are pretty!

The explicit advice is to not plant those varieties that offer no guarantee of survival in northern zones.
Nikko, a member of the Bigleaf (H Macrophylla) and are not hardy to much of Canada. Most advice to growers who wish to try to overcome such weather that is unhardy is to try to bring through winter as much wood as you can. Loss of some wood should be expected to avoid disappointment with loss of bloom.

The usual advice is to 1. build a cage of wood around the plant outward of the wood of the plant. 2. Around this you wrap burlap and tie loosely to the cage leaving open the roof, and the basement.
3. Into the void you put material that does not (or lessens) soak up moisture which, in contact with the wood of the plant, brings on rot and death. Such fill can be made with oak leaves, willow leaves or such, leaves that do not absorb moisture readily. Other material, such as bubble wrap (the stuff that electronics is wrapped with, or other material that doesn't absorb moisture can be used.
Once that is done, close the roof and tie securely. Do the same for the basement that is open. Down there, pile, again, oak leaves and mound that with soil. Around that put evergreen boughs. Snow finishes the insulation.
To reduce further moisture penetration, bury your plant with a picnic hamper, garbage can, anything that will fend off winter winds--the usual thing that can kill plants by drying them out. To that, make sure your plant is given lots of water before freeze-up. As long as the soil will absorb moisture without puddling, give it water.

The big thing against trying to overwinter such plants is the wind, the nasty winter wind is drier than a sirocco and can do in a plant in no time at all.

Now, after all this is done and your plant kicks the bucket...dig it up, go out and buy yourself a variety that promises excellent return every year. That one is called
Annabelle. They have pink varieties of this one as well.

Goren I loved your post. i hae a Nikko blue and two Twist and shouts in my bedroom...the dark of winter is slowly sucummbing to the sun and they are trying to grow...I was afraid to leave them out doors. So I will try your lavish protection next winter and see if they live....wonderful information here..thanks for sharing.