It is true. The gallardia is toast and needs to be tossed. Your soil appears to be compacted and gallardia needs freely draining soil. This means loose soil with tiny air pockets. If there is a Lowe's near you they sell bagged soil conditioner for less than $4. This is what most compacted soil needs as it contains small pieces of pine bark that keeps the soil from packing down again. It gets mixed into the top 6 inches of the soil after you have turned and loosened it with the garden fork or with a shovel. It is likely that tha water you gave it was more than it needed, but not lossening the soil was probably the biggest problem. A free soil test from your county agrigcultural agent would be a great place to start with any amendments that you may need. If I don't have a soil test and can't wait for one, I just use soil conditioner, a little lime, and bagged dry cow compost in small amounts dug thoroughly into the soil. You may not need lime if your soil is not acidic. I never fertilize new transplants. It is best to let them begin to grow slowly into their new soil. Most of us have made the same mistakes as you and learned from our mistakes. Thats why this forum is so helpful. Once you get the area dug and replanted, be sure to mulch, with shredded pine bark mulch if it is available. This mulch will break down and improve your soil also.

Are they getting more shade from trees nearby growing taller? Do you, or your neighbor, fertilize your lawns(s)? Most lawn fertilizer is high in Nitrogen, and will push leaves instead of flowers. Aside from those two probable causes, I can't think of another right now. You can TRY to fertilize with a fertilizer for flowering plants, with a low N (first) number, but if they are getting too much shade, there's not a whole lot that will do to help. While CMs do OK with little or no water, especially older ones, they do better with water, so maybe getting supplemental water to them might help. Of course, if you are under water restrictions, that's no use....

I, too have Hydrangeas not blooming. I have a 3 year old mature hydrangea which has bloomed the first 3 years and not this year. This was the first year it didn't bloom. It is green as can be, no obvious bugs or infestation and I have been regularly watering it. I have another that hasn't bloomed either. My endless summer hydrangea has been blooming and is still in bloom. I also bought a hydrangea at Easter from my church that was in bloom at that time. ( it was forced ) I planted in the ground, eventually cut the spent blooms and thought I would have to wait a couple of years because it was quite small. I would say the pot was a 8 inch pot. Regardless, that is the plant with a very tiny blue bud!! My neighbor and I had a conversation that his Hydrangea which is usually loaded with flowers has about 5 or 6 blooms. I am wondering too if the extreme temperatures could be the reason. All of my plants are in part shade. Good Luck

Barbara This happened to me. I planted mine in late spring. They were blooming when I bought them, then just grew foliage like weeds. Even in part sun and even with some fertilizer around they are blooming now. I wonder if it has something to do with being pot bound. Perhaps they are a plant that blooms when their roots are cramped...or something like that. They get some room and off they grow. Honestly, I don't know what I'm talking about but am here to report that they are blooming now. Hold on to "hope"