effectively removed all those potential blossoms. In the northern parts of their range, bigleaf and serrata hydrangeas need little pruning except for removal of deadwood and spent blossoms. Pruning out wilting flowers diminishes chances for disease and greatly increases the vigor of the plant, no matter which part of the country you garden in. And you don't need to wait for the flowers to wilt; don't hesitate to cut them earlier and bring in for fresh or dried bouquets. In zones where hydrangeas grow extremely vigorously (mostly maritime zones), you may occasionally thin out the growth by cutting out a few of the oldest branches at ground level in early spring. North of USDA Zone 6, growing hydrangeas gets to be dicier. Actually, you can grow the plants fine; it's just getting them to flower that's tricky. This is because the flower buds of bigleaf hydrangeas are not well protected by budscales. They are very vulnerable to cold damage in winter and in particular, to the drying effects of winter winds. Siting your hydrangeas in a protected spot is crucial in these zones. If you garden north of Zone 6, you need to pay careful attention to the variety you choose. As a rule of thumb, the glossier its leaves, the less cold-hardy the hydrangea. Secondly, the cultivars and hybrids of Hydrangea serrata are a better bet for cold-hardy flowerbuds than the macrophyllas. (They're also more drought-tolerant). Finally, there are a few cultivars of Hydrangea macrophylla that will flower on