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

You are very close to territory that will make some hydrangeas not bloom, chefhick. Macrophyllas may have a hard time in cold zones and require winter protection. Do you have a picture -even an old one- of the shrubs in bloom? It might help determine the variety. Until that is determined, I suggest pruning only if needed. And only prune (1) after the plant blooms but (2) before August. Then apply winter protection techniques as soon as the plants go dormant (the leaves dry out, etc) in the Fall. See the link below. Here is a link that might be useful: Overwintering Hydrangea macrophylla winter protection

I doubly panicked about this--it turns out unnecessarily--this spring. I bought Mrs. Lovell Swisher from Rogue Valley, and the note on the website said that they weren't sure yet if it was Mrs. Lovell Swisher or not, since the crop hadn't yet bloomed. My dog knocked the band over and snapped it off, just as it was forming its first bud, so I thought it was a goner. I brought the snapped-off twig into the house, and the flower opened reddish pink and orange. I was unsure if I should contact Rogue Valley for a replacement, because even though it didn't appear to be the right cultivar, I thought I had already killed it anyway. And I had read the warnings here about never judging based on the first bloom. But then, a week later, I discovered the true Mrs. Lovell Swisher blooming in another part of the yard. I had mixed it up with Violinista Costa, which I had planted at the same time. And the happy ending to the story is that the Violinista has now sent up a bunch of strong new canes, in spite of being snapped off at the ground level several weeks after planting.

Your snow drops are beautiful. I wish I could grow those but after many tries I have given up. I can get snow flakes to grow here. The daffs leaves are up about 4 inches so spring will come someday.