Wait about 2 more weeks and then trim out the brown stems back to where there is new growth from them. There doesn't really need to be a uniform pruned shape, so it's fine to leave the canes that *do* have leaves coming from them all the way up. It's possible you have an Endless Summer, David Ramsey or the like, where you can get blooms on new growth. In this case, you'd probably already see florets atop those new beefy canes in the center. In December, try throwing an open 55-gallon trash bag over the plant. Cut a slit facing the porch to vent, and weigh the bag down with bricks or rocks so it doesn't make a lot of noise or blow away.That should keep it slightly warmer and keep moisture in. A lot of canes can dry out, causing their death, even if the buds themselves aren't killed.

It may be too soon to really know which canes are dead. Some people wait until June. Regarding the fertilizer, I'm always cautious. I'm using Osmocote for the first time this year and I have lots and lots of buds. But maybe I would have had buds anyway. I've never fertilized before, but I do use lots of compost as mulch. Whether or not you get any blooms might have more to do with the variety of hydrangea you have and whether or not it blooms on new wood and/or the severity of your winter.

Agree the JM is an excellent suggestion. I have one also in my bed and it adds a real pop of color, which is important in a shade bed. I have inabe shidare. another fave is Tamukeyama. Both hold their color well season long. I have viburnum mariessi 'Dawn' and it doesn't bloom very well there yet, but its a nice plant overall. viburnums are just so easy-care. I have viburnum dentatum in similar spots and they bloom fine. The hollies I have are Blue Princess and Honey Maid. I bought (invested!) in 3 large Blue Princesses (4' or so) to give me some instant screening from the road. They have been great. You may have other choices though. I am in a colder spot. Blue Princess is very hardy. Honey Maid had some damage, but it adds a pop of yellow especially in winter. My pieris in that bed is a no-name that came with the property. However, last year I bought 'Silver Flame' for another spot. I LOVE it. Awesome pink long-lasting new foliage coloring and variegated otherwise. ditto ditto ditto spacing and planning. My bed was created about 4 years ago. This year I extended it and had to transplant 14 plants due to overcrowding. What a pain! Its possible at the time of planting I told myself, "well, I can move it later" or "I'll just put this here for now temporarily until things fill in". But who the heck remembers that!!! All I know is I was going nuts last year watching everything grow into everything else and not having anyplace to walk. I also added a yew, taxus capitata for some add'l screening but the deer had something to say about that :-( I don't usually have deer trouble, but last winter they were especially hungry and found all sorts of goodies. Oh, yeah that reminds me. I also have chamaecyparis 'Goldmop' in there. It isn't so gold in part shade of course, but that suits me fine. Its a nice chartreuse color. And another great perennial for sucha spot has been Jacob's Ladder - Polemonium (sp) 'Stairway to Heaven'. 'Touch of Class' would be similar. Let us know what you come up with.

With coned blooms and those leaves, I would expect it to be a hydrangea paniculata. Paniculatas develop invisible flower buds in late Spring thru Summer (Summer most likely up North in MI) and, depending on the exact variety, they open blooms around early to mid/late Summer. So, you m-a-y need to wait a little bit more time to see bloomage but... you may be close if you have not pruned it this season. Keep giving them evenly moist soil, mulch year-around and some sun; paniculatas are probably the most sun tolerant of hydrangeas. Because paniculatas bloom on new wood around now, I would steer away from pruning at times like now. I do not know if the way that you deadheaded the plant last summer resulted in cutting off the flower buds that were then about to open. These blooms are near the ends of the stems. You can safely deadhead in Spring when the plant leafs out but just cut the petiole string that connects the bottom of the spent blooms to the stems. Pruning is usually not needed with hydrangeas unless you have dead wood (if a stem has not leafed out by the end of May then cut the stem) or if you have stems that cross or areas where you want to add light. If the plant is located where it can achieve its estimated size at maturity, pruning should not be an annual chore like with other shrubs like roses. Depending on the variety, paniculatas can get from 3' to 10'. A picture of the blooms might help figure out which paniculata this one is so post again later on (or ask the previous home owner if that is possible). On the bottom right corner of the picture, there are some leaves that look like they are yellowing, except for the leaf veins. That is called iron chlorosis and is common in alkaline soils. It requires that you amend the soil with either iron-chelated liquid compounds sold in just about any plant nursery, greensand, garden Sulfur or aluminum sulfate. The links below show pictures of several common hydrangeas (paniculata pictures are on the second link). When you get bloomage, compare the bloom to the link below or post again: http://hydrangeashydrangeas.com/identify.html http://hydrangeashydrangeas.com/identify2.html The maple-like leaves that you see in the neighborhood are called oakleaf hydrangeas and there are pictures of those in the second link too. Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom earlier than paniculatas. Even earlier for me down in the South; most of my oakleaf blooms are spent by now. :o(