I agree with jemboysch, Cathy. Since ES is supposed to rebloom throughout the year, the suggestions of not getting enough sunlight or getting too much fertilizer are worth checking. Unfortunately these are somewhat difficult to test for. I have seen some equipment that can help determine if a plant is getting enough sunlight but it was expensive. However, I do recall seeing some cheap test kits that tested the soil for Nitrogen content (and other things). Now ask me where I saw it.... groan.... it must have been a place like Lowes, Home Depot or a local nursery. Stores may be out of stock now but when Spring starts in your area, that is when these types of kits will easily be found locally (you can also check the Internet). When trying to see if the location gets little sunlight, remember that these are part shade plants. The definition of part shade suggests that the plants should get no more than around 4 hours of sun or less. Measure from what time to what time does the sun hit the plants directly and see how many hours of sun you get (if any). Also observe if the light is indirect bright light reflecting from elsewhere. As few as 1-2 hours may be enough for many varieties. If you have dense shade, observe if anything else grows there. Nothing growing suggests that you may need to raise the canopy of trees, that the trees produce jugalone (Butternut and Black Walnut Trees, for example) or that the tree roots prevent other plants from getting enough water/nutrients. I have some hydrangeas, azaleas and camellias that bloom well in front of the house (North side). Most get no direct sun ever but absorb quite a bit of reflected light from a cemented driveway and stuff like that. Regarding borers, I have not had much personal experience. I had a tree affected by borers and know they like rhododendrons too but hardly hear about borer problems in the Hydrangea Forum so *knock *knock on wood. It is strange that they would return to the same plants again although some pine sawflies will overwinter in the same place. If you prune hydrangeas, try adding some Elmer Glue on the stems that you prune to t-r-y and break the cycle or the attraction. Of course, that leaves one wondering where will they go next.... They drill holes that cause sap to fall or ooze down stems. So keep an eye during the Fall (when they deposit eggs) and Spring (when the larvae begins to feed off the sap) for symptoms of a borer attack. Effective chemical control is usually difficult so most recommendations are to cut the stem when the problem is detected. When shrubs have been reinfested year after year, it may be helpful to protect the plant with a pyrethroid insecticide such as permethrin or cyfluthrin. This is claimed to give adequate control if applied in spring after the new growth has emerged and hardened off somewhat in mid-May and again in early June. But I have not heard from anyone who has used this insecticide so, take it with a grain of salt. Luis

Mine wilted last year every time we had a hot day and I really had to baby it but this year ,its in the same spot but so far hasn,t wilted yet. I,m think they just really need to get a good root system going to take any sun at all. I read on another forum where someone was successful in preventing wilt by adding the stuffing of a babys diaper deep in the soil to retain moisture that the plant could pick up when needed. I have used this method with my hanging baskets but haven,t tried it with Endless summer. When I get ready to plant my new one I will, I currently have a Endless Summer on a covered deck in a pot and it still wilts on hot days even though its in shade.

Some people have complained on the forum about ES in Zone 5 and have had to winter protect it; I bring that up for you to consider. When winter protecting, wait 2-3 weeks after your avge date of last frost before removing the winter protection. Also, review how the shrubs are doing in the middle of winter. If winter protecting with leaves, add more if settling has occurred by mid winter. ES is remontant. It will bloom, take a break (4-6 or more weeks) and bloom again if the weather cooperates. If the weather becomes hot, the shrub may put off blooming until the temperatures go down. Deadheading should trigger ES to bloom again; it just does not occur right a way though. Over here, most shrubs stop blooming when the temps are regularly above 100 so expect ES to take a break should things get hot in Ohio too. I would do a soil test to see if your soil is too alkaline or if it is low in some minerals (check nitrogen and phosphorus). Acidify the soil further if necessary. Add phosphorus if defficient. Remember that you will need to apply soil acidifiers regularly per the product label. Go easy on fertilizers. Once in June is probably fine provided your soil has no mineral defficiencies. Some sun is also nice; about 2-3 hours would work well and help produce quite a few blooms. Too much shade will result in fewer blooms. Maintain the soil moist as best as you can. Not dry, not wet. Dry and wet cycles can result in browned out blooms and leaves. The root ball can also dry out and bad things happen if it dries out. Windy locations may dry out the soil quickly so consider a wind break or transplanting if the area is windy. Maintain mulch, 3-4", up to the drip line or a little further. We get some wind during the hot the summer months so I like to extend the mulch further around all shrubs. Overwatering can also be bad for the roots so use the finger method to help you determine when to water. Luis

@ Tina Do. I did use rooting hormone called hormodin. I really think you could use honey with hydrangeas or probaly nothing, they seemed really easily to root. I think I had 100 % that rooted( I did 15 cuttings). You will know when they are ready for outside if you can pull on them and they feel connected to the cup. If the cutting moves without the container it means its not ready.I think 3-4 weeks inside you should start feeling them ready for outside. The hard part is when you take them outside. Its hard to avoid wilting and leafs turning brown. Once you starting seeing new growth after moving outside put them in the ground. You really have to stay on top of the watering when you do this. I did around 15 cuttings and have about 12 in the ground. 2-3 almost almost died when transferred to the ground, now these are putting out new shoots. But they are small plants. My first freeze is still 8 weeks away here so hopefully they will all make it through winter here. This was my first time doing this. I seen another obstacle is winter but we have very mild winters here so think they all should make it. I still have 8 weeks here before our first frost.