My first Hydrangea is now in the ground for more than 25 years. At this point, I keep it for sentimental reasons only. It's gotten so THICK with canes that if I wrap it in my usual cage, I have to get everything so tight in there that I think I may actually be suffocating the plant. I've not had good luck overwintering it in recent years. This past winter I didn't even bother with it. If I were you, I'd consider taking a cutting or digging out a portion of your sentimental one and essentially start over. It would indeed be the same plant, so you could keep your sentiment. But I can understand sentiment. I should get rid of my first Hydrangea, but I'm not. For a long time I would cut back the old canes completely to the ground in the Fall. I'd only leave canes that had shot up from low points on the canes or from the crown. They would have grown all summer and would end up giving me great flowering the next year. I'd have very long stemmed flowers, too, that I had cut. The big problem with this technique is that you end up with weaker stems than you would otherwise and next summer they'd be weighted down to the ground with their flowers. I've found that, for my zone, I can usually prune as hard as I want up until about Fourth of July, just to be easy to remember, and not hurt the flowering potential for next year. After that, the buds start setting for next year and you start running into that problem. (But then I've cut some "nikkos" back to the crown in the Fall and on some I'd get great flowering and on some I'd get none. Do I really understand this? NO.) So, here is another method for you to consider to keep it smaller, at least in height. Another thing I've experimented with is to prune all the wimpy growth completely out and just end up with a few stout canes over time. This was interesting, but you end up with an artifical looking Hydrangea and the few stout canes start looking rather strange. But with this technique, more or less, you could develop a plant that wasn't so crowded. I don't know though. I wish I could help you more. I'd like an answer to the question you have, too! Hay

If this plant is hardy on zone 6 then all you need to do is to keep it well mulched (about 3-4" thru the drip line). If the plant is not hardy to zone 6 then check the information on the link below. The two approaches discussed in the link are: 1) cover the shrub with chicken wire and fill it up with leaves (really pack them in as they serve as insulators); 2) place a cardboard on top of the shrubs and press downwards slowly (the stems will bend) so the stems lie almost flat (hold the cardboard with rocks and add leaves on top). Blooms develop near the tips so it is important to protect the stem tips with lots of leaves. When doing the chicken wire thing, allow for several inches between the end of the stems and the sides/top of the chicken wire cage. The more separation, the more protection but pack those leaves good in there. Also, keep a reserve of unused leaves in a plastic trash bag as leaves sometimes settle and you may need to add more in mid winter (use mulch if you run out). Luis Here is a link that might be useful: Overwintering hydrangeas

So sorry, Pam & hello - I just finally found the time to check in  thanks to the cold rainy past 2 days! Mama Nature howled a 65mph windstorm that felt like 100mph on a 40 deg day,Oct 26 ... can't even begin to figure the chill factor she spewed that lasted for 24 hrs followed by a killing frost overnite - took every living Âtenders outdoors on their knees!!! My famous Gingko tree (before donning its golden cloak) completely undressed in a matter of few hours. There was nothing anyone could have staked or tied down, as protective shields to the killing freeze, worked  my yard was littered with sheets, grill covers, tree limbs, sticks etc. Mother nature, satisfied with her test on our fortitude & sense of respect, doled us sun & warmth, the rest of the week to pick up the pieces! My arbor over good old NB, with her massive Sweet Autumn Clem came down, not too gracefully  miraculously spared NB & Tardiva, to which it landed  massive Swt Aut cushioned the blow! I am now just getting ready to install the wire cages around 10 bloom-tenders NB included. I have also readied small bags of collected 'lite 'n dry' fallen leaves to drop in the cages as soon as needed (sustained days of 30 below days! Pam - to try & ans. your ?? ... You are in a similar zone, From what I was told, the protective sepals coupled with the warmth still coming from the ground would be enough to protect the buds for next season, for a while more - to cover up too soon may confuse the buds & encourage growth. I'm a slave ... to my old Nik for sentimental reasons; to my numerous Lacecaps, for sheer love; to the new babies of this past season so IÂd protect them too, simply to give them a good headstart come Spring  we are expecting a tough Winter ... but mostly, I love challenges, what's more, I now have the time (have completely retired, from paying job! since summer)! So unless you have emotional connections to your NB & donÂt have space to spare for a F&E or 2  F&E is relatively painless! Good Luck on your choice Â;) PS - you might also scroll down the H Forum for Over-wintering tutorial by Hay Seedman!

Hydrangeas do not overwinter well inside homes so use garages (attached or otherwise), sheds, poolhouses, etc. Place the plant outside until temperatures get into the 30's (which forces the plant to go dormant) and then bring it into its overwintering location. In unheated locations, water once a month or less; twice a month if heated. Do not place the pot in direct contact with the cold/frozen ground.