Looks like they are suffering from transplant shock. Very common on newly planted shrubs and expected when you plant new ones in the middle of the summer. If they get too much sunlight, the leaves in direct contact with the sun will turn all yellow, including the leaf veins. So, these guys look like went from a comfortable shady spot at Lowes to a more sunny and hot spot in your garden. Going forward, I suggest you transition them slowly into sunny areas: say, buy them in the summer, keep them in bright shade until summer temps have come down and plant them in the Fall. When the big leaves on these guys started to loose moisture faster than the roots could absorb water, the leaves wilted. As this condition got more intense by not being used to the hot outside, the leaves dried out from the edges inwards and some sections now look brown. The wilted leaves should normally recover on their own if you keep the soil moist. Usually they recover either by nighttime or by the next morning. If they have not recovered then test the soil to see if it needs water. But keep a close eye on the soil moisture levels in the middle of the summer and water as often as needed. Do not forget that pots get hot when hit by either morning or afternoon summer sun. Completely dried out leaves can be cut off but I would leave the partially browned out ones. If it bugs you, you can squish the brown out parts so they are not so obvious. Dried out leaves will not recover but the shrub sometimes generates new ones either now, in the Fall or as late as Spring 2016. Any location where they get morning sun until 11am or so (approximately) is probably ok. Locations that get some sun in the afternoon might work too but you have to "test" them to see and mid-July was probably a jolt to them. In the northern states, they can get full sun but, I still would not "introduce to the outside" in the middle of the summer. :o) I had one hydrangea that lost all leaves due to watering issue (not potted but planted in the ground). This happened near the end of the growing season. I maintained the soil moist and well mulched. It looked worse than yours. While it did not produce new leaves that season, the roots were fine and made it leaf out in the Spring like nothing had happened. Enjoy, the Mini Penny Hydrangeas. I almost got some myself at another store.

Garden Ho - the problem re eliminating the current ones is, as the MNR people point out, coyotes are now widespread in urban/surburban/rural areas. Eliminate these ones and that just opens the niche for new ones to move in.... I think the local Humane Society made a big mistake this past summer by trapping them, treating them for the mange they had, and releasing them. Mange seems to be a good population control and I think they need to just let it run its course. That would reduce or eliminate the group and the den site would likely retain the scent etc. of dead coyotes, which should help discourage a new pack from moving in once this one was naturally eliminated. When the foxes that used to live where the coyotes do now died out from mange a number of years ago, it was about 5 years before new ones moved in - they promptly got mange again.... Then the coyotes either killed them or chased them out. I've got my fingers crossed that mange kills the coyotes off in the next year or so....

Becky, so sorry to hear. Annie’s onion soup was a plant swap classic. Swaps at the farm were always so much fun and in a most beautiful setting. I remember having to take a detour one day years ago on my way up to Uncanoonuc Perennials and it took me on the road past the farm. I had to slow down when I was passing because it was CLEAR that a serious gardener lived there! It was so nice to see such a beautiful garden as I drove by. A week or so later I found out about a NH plant swap and was so pleased when Annie was the host and it was at the very garden I knew I wanted to see more of! I would love to be able to dig up something to be reminded of Annie for years to come. That is so generous of you to offer. I too live in Goffstown. Susan at sconfalone@comcast.net. Thank you, and wishing you peace.

Bumping this up! I have a small collection of 5 hydrangea macrophylla. I'm going to post a link to the variety and explain the history/ location for each, along with an update. Winter was pretty mild this year, but had several sudden dips into cold temperatures. I'd say overall it was more like a zone 7 winter, but it was pretty shocking for plants as it would go from 70 degrees (Fahrenheit, obviously) to low-teens and single-digit temps very rapidly, and that happened several times. I think it stayed above 0 degrees all winter. I have alkaline, clay soil so blooms are pink. Everlasting Revolution (Hokomarevo): two planted, both in full sun (south exposure). Plants Nouveau link This is the second winter I've had them, both years they've die back to the crown but come back well. These are very tiny little hydrangea bushes and they definitely are dwarf and grow very slowly-- the "mature size" of 18 inches is probably at least another year away. The whole plant is miniature compared to my other hydrangeas. They both have broccoli. I intended to move the one that gets more sun this year as it didn't bloom last year, but I didn't get around to it-- and it appears to be doing better! From past experience, the blooms are beautiful, though small. They start pink and white and gain green streaks as the blooms age. Pistachio/ Horwack. Western exposure, pretty shady and fairly shielded. Pistachio link. I don't think it died back to the ground, but I forgot to check on it early when it would be easy to tell. Again, second winter in my yard, and growing well, but not very quickly. The blooms are already opening (whether that's because it's sheltered or because it's an earlier bloomer is uncertain), and are pea-green as they are always until they mature. Will develop an intense fuchsia color with green accents as the bloom matures, no blue center in my soil. It's starting to demonstrate the iron chlorosis coloring, on new leaves, it's interesting that it doesn't show that coloring until the blooms form and are opening (it's not on the first ~30 leaves). The plant continues to grow and bloom with no real maintenance on my part, and I like the look of the yellow leaves. Together (RIE05)- planted on the north side of the house, gets sun from early morning to about 10 am. Together link. I got this last summer as a mildewy plant on clearance. Whether because this is heartier, or because it's in the ideal position, this was my only hydrangea that did not die back at all, so it's the biggest. Has lots of broccoli. No experience with the flowers yet since it was an ugly duckling when I got it. Peppermint (RIE14). North side of the house, essentially no direct sun. Peppermint link. Also got this last year, but it handled the crowded box store conditions better and didn't have mildew. This died back to the crown overwinter but came back really well and is nearly as large as Together. Has fewer groups of broccoli than Together, but the clusters it has are HUGE. I am looking forward to the blooms, they are very impressive. Everlasting Revolution I can definitely confirm blooms on new and old wood. Peppermint and Horwack bloom on new wood, and Horwack also blooms on old wood (Peppermint and Together did not have a second flush of blooms last year, but they were recently transplanted). Together may or may not bloom on new wood, but it's definitely showing broccoli at the same time that the other plants that died back to the crown did. Together may be more cold-tolerant than the other hydrangeas I have. None of the plants are showing signs of downy mildew this year, and there's been a lot of rain. Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised with the new entries, and pleased that both Revolutions are gearing up to bloom this year! It matches your experience, though--all of my plants are in your "reliable" group.