Hydrangeas--

[Biggles]

I have two fairly large/mature? Hydrangeas in this garden and I think that they will be too large and overpowering in comparison to the rest of the 'patch'.
Looking closely at them they do look as though they have been 'chopped back' a bit under the Bedroom window so they must have been a fair size ;D
Advice please--Should I prune them right down to soil level and take 'cuttings' for new plants next year? I know if I prune them I will lose some flowers for this season (which I dont mind)

[Chuckles]

I thought they looked like Hydrangeas in the photos on your garden thread Bigs. How about putting them in pots so you could move them wherever you want them, on the bed when there is room of somewhere else when there isn't room, if you get my drift I have some in pots and they do ok.

[andy]

Hydrangeas don't take well to hard pruning. The general thing to do is to just remove the old flowerheads in March leaving all the buds below to develop. Hard pruning will result in lack of flowers.

However, if you do need to cut it back, why not cut it back by 1/4....just take a foot off for example. Or maybe cut back half of the plant hard this year and half next.

[Biggles]

Thanks Andy and Chuckles--I think I will 'Pot' one up as suggested by Chuckles and do as Andy says with the other one--Bigs

[beanie]

I was born awkward. lots of books advise not pruning hydrangeas too hard, but last year I cut a very large one down to half size and took out some of the older stems completely to open it up. the result seemed to be no loss of flower, maybe i was lucky but I've done the same this year to my mum in laws so watch this space