I bought an "Angel Eyes" at HD on Lawrenceville Hwy (inside perimeter) about 2-3 weeks ago. It was 1-gal size, i think.

Those remind me of buttons and bows ...which died in my garden. And not, I believe, my fault. A beautiful plant though.

bumblebeez---
B&B, a/k/a Harlequin, a/k/a Monrey, performs well in a controlled environment, i.e., greenhouse, but couldn't survive when placed in Mother Nature's care. The extremes were just too much for such a fragile child!
I lost 6 of them, over a two year period.
Like you, I am afraid the Halo series would be just as tempermental and since I presently have more than 150 other Hydrangeas that present few problems, I will not spend an extra minute coddling one that is too weak to survive on it's own. MHO

georgia-rose, I'm disappointed to hear that about those varieties. What are some others that you would recommend? I'm looking for something that has blooms with a lot of color. What are your favorites?

butterflylion---
Please don't pass up a plant you like and want to try, based upon my opinions. I haven't tried any of the Halo series of Hydrangeas and probably won't in the near future.

I have several Hydrangeas that I really admire, but that is also a matter of personal preference.
Hyd. mac. 'Miss Belgium'(Red mophead)I grow it in a pot, so that the soil pH can be easily regulated.
Hyd. mac. 'Endless Summer'(mine is blue, always covered in blooms and recovers nicely from a late spring freeze).
Hyd. mac. 'Hanabi'(a/k/a 'Sumida-no-hanabi', a/k/a 'Fireworks'). Often mislabeled and sold as 'Fuji Waterfall'(NOT).
Hyd. mac. (no name)Pink Lacecap from Middleton Plantation, SC (2 clones, one has a darker color eye in each sterile floret).
Hyd. quercifolia. 'Harmony'
Hyd. serrata 'Woodlanders' (a cultivar grown from seed collected by the Chollipo Botanical Gardens/Arboretum, Korea and introduced by Woodlanders, Aiken, SC).
Hyd. serrata 'Little Geisha' (dwarf mophead serrata, blooms emerge pink, later turn white).
Hyd. serrata 'Fuji Waterfall'

Some that I have experienced multiple failures with, in addition to 'B&B'/'Harlequin'/'Monrey', was 'Sister Theresa', 'Claudie', 'Hornli', 'Sun Goddess', 'Shirotae',
'Taube', Tovelit', 'Lemon Wave' and other little known Japanese cultivars. I am about ready to toss my 'Lemon Zest', as they are not performing well and after 4 years, no blooms.
If I like the flowers or foliage on a Hydrangea, I often will try several, before admitting defeat, if they fail.
Good gardening!

Georgia-Rose, thanks for the warning that this might be a fragile one. And thank you for the great list. I have started a hydrangea area outside our bedroom window, so these recommendations are great.

Gosh, you have over 150 varieties -- I have about 5 and thought i was doing well ;) I'd love to see photos when yours are flowering, they sound spectacular.

Have you tried any of the Cityline series? I got the dwarf one (Vienna, i think), and it is wilting terribly in the heat (I only planted it a couple of weeks ago). Do you think these are also fragile?

Butterflylion, the Ace Hardware on Scott Blvd has quite a few different hydrangeas. I got H. serrata "Veitchii" and "Tokyo delight", and an Annabelle there. I havent had them long though, so I don't know how well they will do overall.

Do what I did with my shooting star hydrangea (http://www.weekendgardener.net/landscape-plants/hydrangea-macrophylla-shootingstar.htm):

Plant it in a pot and move it to the garage or basement in the winter time. I've done this with the shoot star for 3 years now. It's too fragile to be planted outdoors. I bought it at Kroger.