First, let's start with the same suggestion that virtually every new poster to GW will engender - include your location and/or climate zone with every post OR change your profile to reflect it. You will get much faster and more complete answers that are appropriate to your specific location, if we know what it is.

Second, with any plantings, you can't water to a specific schedule. The frequency of the need to water is dependent on soil conditions, siting and weather. When you do water you want to water thoroughly, so the water can percolate down through the soil profile the full depth of the rootball.

Third, the hydrangeas appear to be planted in amongst a bunch of weeds or weedy grass. Why are they not in clear planting beds? Lawns, weed grasses and weeds can easily outcompete young, newly planted plants for both soil moisture and nutrients, delaying proper establishment. A defined, clear planting area surrounding the plants (or a single planting bed that contains them all) that is kept free of weeds and grass is preferred. And this should be mulched, both to keep any weeds down and to insulate the soil and prevent evaporation.

The leaves of the plants don't look too bad - a little off color and a few showing scorched tips - but overall they look as though the plants are receiving adequate water. The browned or withered flowers are just flowers that have passed their prime. They can be removed to improve the plants' appearance. Depending on the type of hydrangeas they are (another useful piece of info we lack), they may not produce any more flowers this season. Hydrangea macrophyllas that bloom on old wood (the vast majority of them) create flower buds in late summer or fall of the previous year. Once those buds have bloomed, that's it for the year. Reblooming macs (those that bloom on both old and new growth) can generate additional flower buds in season but young, new plants like these are not so much inclined to do so until fully established.

The offcolor of the foliage and the faded flowers could indicate these plants are receiving a bit more sun than they'd prefer. This is not a deal breaker but something to be aware of and to work to offset. Or you could relocate these plants in fall to a shadier location (morning sun only) and plant more sun tolerant panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata cultivars) in their place.

Oh, yes. Right. Apologies. I'm in zone 7, Knoxville, TN. I don't water every other day no matter what, but rather approximately. If it's rained, I don't water them - I was just trying to say that I water them relatively frequently, but not a lot of water each time because I'm afraid of root rot. They're in clay soil, so I feel like root rot is possible, but I have no idea really.

I thought they bloomed through the fall? Is it normal to have them be spent so soon?

Our intention is to create the whole area into a bed, but life has gotten in the way and haven't had time to dig up the area, hence the grass. But the plan is to enclose the area in mulch.

whatever caused this- its because the plant is getting inconsistent water. Not burn. You can tell by the location of the brown bits on the leaves. burning will cause the leaves to turn a silvery skin. the plant had long spells of not getting water into its system and then suddenly get flooded with water. The rush of water into the leaves and more delicate parts of the plants (blooms) caused the cells to explode and die off. Hence the browning.

you can create good drainage around the plant by digging in compost. You wouldn't need to dig the plant out. just loosen up the soil around the plant and that should help.

"I thought they bloomed through the fall? Is it normal to have them be spent so soon?"

As mentioned, it depends on the type of hydrangea you are growing. The majority of bigleaf hydrangeas bloom on growth that was produced the previous season. Once all those previously formed buds have bloomed, that's it for the season. The shrub will not continue to develop new flower buds that will bloom this year. If a selection of the newer, "reblooming" cultivars, these produce flowers both on old growth (like the above) and also on growth that is produced this growing season, so the potential bloom season may be longer.

Newly planted hydrangea shrubs - and that means any that were planted this year - will not necessarily perform to the same degree as those that have become established in the landscape. So it is possible that next year, your bloom season will be longer. But that is all speculation if we don't know what cultivar(s) of hydrangea you are growing.....did they come with labels?