Meagan, I'm in a much warmer climate than you are and MOST' hydrangeas are really hardy for me. Even though, when I got my hands on something that is marginally hardy or questionable, I grow them for the full first season in a pot to see if they are worth the trouble to overwinter. If so, those pots going into my equivalent of the cold frame (dark cold basement should do too, I think) where i give them some water (or shovel of snow) couple of times over the whole winter. In spring after re-acclimatisation to outdoor conditions they either go into ground or stay in a pots for another season. Alternatively, you could keep potted hydrangea in a house for the whole winter (it may even develop some flowers in March-April), but it has to be well lit space and plant would need constant watering AND misting. IMO, not worth the trouble. For those who doesn't have a luxury of cold frames, hayseedman explained in details how he overwintered his collection of hydrangeas. You may want to search this forum and find his post(s) on a subject. I overwintered my Hobelle in a pot and it's how she's looking right now. It's about 4x3' in 25G pot. One more thing, you said you bought your plant 'a few months ago' (April-May?) which means that little plant was forced into bloom by grower who doesn't care about roots and stems development and just making it presentable. Not trying to be overly negative or pessimistic I would strongly recommend to dig it out in a fall and overwinter by any means you choose if you are truly determined to keep it. That would give you another guaranteed season of blooms and another season of roots development for the plant. Then you'll decide of what to do, plant it in a ground or continue to keep in a pot.

I overwintered a couple of 2 gallon Homigo hydrangeas in my unheated garage (I am in zone 5b, or 6 by the new chart). All I did was to water them occasionally, so that the soil does not completely dry out. Otherwise, I did not do anything special to them at all! Now, they are in a bigger container and are both blooming beautifully!

anenemity, I really can't imagine h. 'Homigo' being 18" from a wall/fence of any sort without being smooshed. Sorry. It's a bushy shrub with large leaves & many large flowers. I planted 6" rooted cuttings & they were larger than yours are now at the end of their first season. I'm trying to get a picture to you & am so frustrated. I use picturetrail & I keep getting a "Rejected" message when I paste the link into GW...have no idea why? You don't show an email address through GW so can't get one to you that way either. :( I live on a small penninsula jutting into Mystic Harbor. Hydrangeas are known for loving salt air & coastal weather. Maybe, mine are just happy campers, therefore, larger than "normal"? All I know is that those flowers are at or above my nose & I'm 5'4". They are as wide (or wider) than they are tall. Our hedge was planted in 2004 so this is their 7th season but they reached this height in their 3rd or 4th year. I know it's a pain to move them. :( Ultimately, you both will be happier though. :) I don't think it will "hurt" the shrubs to stay where they are...they just won't look as nice as their potential allows. Oh, also...I've never winter protected our hedge. It's right out there exposed to every Nor'easter that comes our way. I'm handicapped & don't have the ability to coddle my plants so they've got to perform. If h. 'Homigo' didn't perform...it would have been compost years ago! lol Mine are just starting to show blue (we have acid soil)...about 3 weeks later than Nikko. /tricia

Morning, ostrich... Thank you for your compliments on my 'Homigo' hedge. I ordered them from QVC April '04 as itty-bitty 4" rooted cuttings. They came in a package of 3 'Homigo', 1 h. paniculata 'Tardiva', & two h. variegata. QVC goofed up the delivery date & my plants arrived four days before they were scheduled. This is a second home for us. DH works in NY & we spend weekends in CT (although, I'm here pretty much full time). Anyway, the plants sat on the front porch for several days & by the time I arrived on their scheduled delivery date...they were badly wilted & bedraggled looking. I complained to QVC & they promptly sent me another set. So, I ended up with 6 'Homigo' & 4 variegated. We planted all of them...even the wilted ones. DH dug a trench 2' deep & 2' wide. Then, we made a mixture of 50/50 leaf moulde & composted manure which we mixed 50% with the native soil. I planted the baby hydrangeas about 3' apart mixing in the variegated ones. Quite frankly, they looked ridiculous & I endured some "hmmph's" from the neighbors! A long row of these 4" cuttings...lol. I got one flower from the entire hedge that summer. But, summer of '05 they bloomed heavily & had grown to about 2' square & my neighbor wasn't laughing anymore. Basically, I don't water them. We top dress 4-6" every April/May with 50/50 leaf moulde & composted manure & they're on their own. In all fairness to those who have to water frequently...we live just 100' from Long Island Sound & hydrangeas seem to love growing near the shore. I do not fertilize them. They are planted with a due east exposure so receive full morning sun. In the above picture, you can only see about 3/4 of the hedge. The part you can't see & part of what you can see also gets the tough afternoon sun. Those that receive more sun are also more exposed to winter winds. Exposure doesn't seem to make a performance difference or at least none that I can see...same amount of blooms, or, close enough. The daisies receive morning shade & afternoon sun. I like the hydrangea/daisy combo...screams "summertime", to me. Oh, I forgot about the new wood question... Yes, they absolutely bloom on new wood. In fact, those are the only blooms I've had until this year. Being the idiot that I am, I always assumed the previous years' canes hadn't survived the winter & chopped them off in April. This year, I didn't get around to it...lo & behold...FLOWERS from last year's growth. Visible in the second picture above are the flower buds forming on the new wood from this year's growth. 'Homigo' is a wonderful hydrangea, IMO. George tells me that they've done dreadful in field tests; but, I've no idea why. If "I" can grow them...anybody can!! :) Another 'Homigo' trait that I appreciate are the strong canes. You can see in the picture that 'Homigo' holds her blooms upright...no "droopy drawers" as NB. My neighbor has NBs & her blooms are all over the ground after the first heavy rain (we get frequent heavy summer downpours). The above pictures were taken just 4 days after we received over 1.5" of rain. Go 'Homigo'!!! My DH just has an inexpensive digital camera that he uses for work so my picture quality is poor. Here's another closer shot of the variegated hydranges interspered in my hedge...pardon my weeding tools in the picture. :( In my original picture...these poor guys don't even show up! Could also be because they're in in the full blazing sun! :( I'm glad to have found another who grows 'Homigo'. I think you & I are oddities. George tells me that there are few people who they've done well for? Oh, yes...they do turn red in the fall mid-October here. They hold that color through Thanksgiving & then I'm inside & don't know what they do? lol I have cut them for Thanksgiving decorations twice though. Tricia