Can you post a picture?

Yep ....

Pathetic looking. And for those who wonder, the soil is moist.

I agree but not bad enough to throw away considering this is year "zero". Hydrangeas can take 1-3 years to become established so give it more time. If for no other reason to prevent a $$ loss.

In my area, the first summer is always stressful with all the 100-degree days. Too much sun. Too much heat. Too little moisture. Even a little wind under hot conditions makes those big leaves loose moisture quickly. And if I plant them in the middle of the summer then let's just say I quit planting anything in mid-summer!!! Ha!

Just keep it in morning sun thru 11am-12pm. Water it faithfully when a finger inserted into the soil to a depth of 1-2" feels almost dry or dry. Provide extra shade (they are not used to it). The root systems get cut to fit into the pots and they are sometimes puny so wait until they develop more fibrous roots in the top 4". Those are the main ones that they absorb water thru..

just wondering..why in a pot?..you don't need to overwinter in your mild climate..would they do better in the ground?..or you just like the pot?..I like pots too but inground is easier..

I put them in pots as I wasn't sure where I wanted to plant them and then it got hot. I religiously watered them, occasionally twice a day. I also have a destructive dog. I have lost a lot of plants because of him. My front yard is full on facing south as well.

I guess I could plop them in the ground and see what happens.

You can but you have to hunt for places where the summer sun provides shade starting at 11am-12pm... ish. I have just about run out of those locations so pots may now be required for me.

you might look around for gorgeous hydrangeas in your area..see where they're planted..how much shade, orientation etc...try to find a similar spot..

I understand the destructive dog part. I've bought dozens of 3 foot high x 4 feet wide fence sections at HD to put around some of my treasured plants even though the dog can easily leap it to go after squirrels and rabbits but he knows if I find him on the other side, he is going to be in trouble. Another thing I've done for some young plants is stack brush piles including rose stems with vicious thorns in front of these plants. Looks bad but does the job - it will rot down while the plants get taller and bigger than the dog(s). The things we do to keep peace between our pets and plants, huh?

luis, does it work on "meth labs"? HA!

Or terrorist terriers!?!

He is available for mole service! Works for free. Leaves holes ready for planting.

Take them out of the pots. Even with water it is hard to moderate the soil temperature in pots. And you are in a warm zone. A real garden spot with 2-3 inches of mulch- not touching the stems. And you can transplant them again if that spot doesn't work. They are pretty tough plants.

The money wasn't totally wasted if you've learned that plants have certain requirements to grow well. In this case, you planted shrubs that prefer only morning sun in a spot that had all day sun, and it's always more difficult to grow perennials and shrubs in pots since you have to choose a potting medium that suits their needs for drainage, moisture retention, and nutrients. For pots in full sun, look at annuals such as some of the annual Salvias, variegated culinary sage, golden creeping Jenny, million bells, or consider a pot of flowering succulents.

As others have said, find a spot with morning only sun (3 hours is fine, and dappled shade will be fine if it's bright) and replant the the Hydrangeas. They've had a difficult year this season, but should recover next season if planted in an area more suited to their needs.

Put that pot in a shady location for winter. Put a sprinkler close by next spring to water perhaps twice a week. Once you find a good spot for it, it should be a lot better looking. I dug up six hydrangeas last fall and put in large pots BECAUSE the trees were gobbling up all the water during our hot and usually dry summers. No matter how many times I watered them they were usually wilted the very next day. Now they are lush and twice the size after one growing season.

All in the ES series have taken years (for me) to become established. The richer, looser and more shaded the soil the faster it will take off (with any amount of sun). Most H's as of now have lost most of their bottom leaves (and spent blooms) and will not come back full again until next Spring. If you overwinter this in a pot, you must keep the soil moist and mostly unfrozen (plant NOW). If you can't get this to flourish within a year or two, consider re-siting the plant. This should eventually do perfectly in zone 8.

Bloomstruck grows and blooms amazingly well out here in the Pacific Northwest. Gets beautiful intense colored flowers with also great past prime flower color changes.

Don't give up on these. Suspect they've just been in pots too long and didn't have enough water in summer.