Hi n-g-t, roseberri & Mona2 - I received my florist Blue Nikko on Mom's Day from my 3 kids, 19yrs ago like you then, I didn't know much about Hydrangeas but decided to sink the plant in the ground, after the beautiful blossoms were spent. I went through years of 'plenty & famine' & skimpy once (in between) for years ... they even turned to pink ... I didn't care I was happy with what I got. I had other garden pretties I busied myself with. When these old garden beauties started emerging, along with the mushrooming of Big Box stores & the advent of I-Garden Forums etc I joined in and learned more/ winterizing, bluefying fertilizing etc.  despite all the new gained knowledge ÂMother Nature still has the upper hand ... is my conclusion! As roseberri posted :" You might read some of the older posts for more info. (growing Hydrangeas in zone 5 is not for the easily discouraged) Mona2  There are Hydrangea paniculatas to choose from that would grow as large as Vivarnums and give you lots of lovely blooms to enjoy until first frost. I have several of them & wish I could replace my old Vivarnum that blooms only in Spring & gone in a couple of weeks, with yet another H paniculata (they don't need winter coats). BTW, those seemingly new canes coming from the ground may really be canes coming from old canes, barely covered under a thin layer of soil & mulch  they are capable of producing huge blossoms (mine were larger than a dinner plate). Some sun is also needed to lure those blossoms! Don't give up yet ... best wishes this season. Â;) FWIW

Hydrangeas are understory trees that prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. If they get too much sun here in the summer months, the leaves in direct contact with the sun get scorched. However, the summer sun here is not as strong as it is in the northern half of the country so my MIL in MASS had a Nikko Blue on the western side of her home with no problems. It is possible that with enough moisture, your shrub can do well either on the original or the alternate locations. Why do you not try the current location and transplant it if it turns out to be too much? Just remember to keep the soil moist, well mulched and to check the leaves several times a week. When I gave one hydrangea too much sun, the leaves in contact with the sun turned all yellow including the leaf veins. I would investigate where people are putting similar hydrangeas to give you an idea. You can also look at city gardens and such. But regardless which location you try, you will not be the only person that has had to transplant a hydrangea because the original location did not work out when hot temps in July-August arrive or because it got too big or something else. Luis

Very likely that you will see new blooms in Spring. Hydrangeas begin to develop flower buds in the month of July. To prepare it for winter, maintain 4" of mulch up to the drip line and quit fertilzing by the end of July or earlier. Hydrangeas tolerate neutral soil and some degree of alkalinity. When the alkalinity gets bothersome, you will know... the leaves will turn light green or yellowish, with leaf veins remaining dark green. Your soil pH is neutral at a reading of 7. In the past, NB has reacted to that by displaying light shades of blue. Some people have reported it to look blue-green or more white than blue. Right now, the soil pH that counts is the one in the potting mix because that is where the roots are located. As the roots grow and extend into your soil, they will respond to the soil pH in your garden (7.0). As you see the shades of blue that develop, decide whether you want to get darker blues. If you do, acidify the soil below a reading of 6. You can do this by amending the soil with garden Sulphur, green sand, iron sulfate, aluminum sulfate (do not use a/s near azaleas/rhododendrons) or iron-chelated liquid compounds. Plant nurseries should carry any one of the above. Apply per the product labels as long as you can. You will need to amend forever because soil has a tendecy to return to its original state. No need to amend when the soil is frozen and covered with snow, of course. Note: it is easier to change/control soil pH when the plant is in a pot/container.

Now is not an ideal time to prune. Colder weather later in the season could very well damage wood exposed by this late pruning and increase winter dieback. I'd wait until late winter/early spring after the worst weather has passed and examine for truly deadwood then and remove. Nikko Blue behaves rather idiosyncratically compared to most macs and will often produce blooms despite rather severe pruning. Regular fertilizing, as is necessary for any containerized plants, may encourage more flowers. As to the look of the plant from the photos, if these were taken any time recently, I am confused as to what you are worrying about. It looks great, all things considered. It is the first of November afterall and even here in the rather mild PNW, most hydrangeas are looking pretty crappy - even more so now that we have just experienced our first hard frost. The only ones that look the slightest bit decent are the oakleafs which are in full fall color and hold their leaves well in cold.