Jennifer,
Good Morning.
Yes, you can deadhead the old flowers off your hydrangea. BUT – do not do any further pruning on the hydrangea. The wood with the flower buds has already been formed on hydrangeas. Any pruning then you could be cutting off the bloom wood thus not having any flowers next spring. Doug

Nisha,
Good Afternoon. Personally, I think that location is too much some for a Bobo hydrangea to thrive and survive. There are many other flowering plants that can tolerate that heat index. Dwarf Butterfly bush comes to mind that would love all that sun. Kaleidoscope Abelia is another plant to consider. There are so many others that are sun lovers. It is all about Right Plant / right Location. This fall is a good planting season. Come see us when you are ready and let us show you some plant options to consider planting. Hope to see you. Doug

Maureen,
I am so glad to read that you have enough knowledge about hydrangeas that proper timing of pruning is so important. I don’t know of any specific guide. If you know the names of your hydrangeas then you may want to google the different varieties and learn when to prune. Basically, the spring bloomers that are the mopheads with the blue / pink flowers can only be pruned once the blowers fade. They bloom off of old wood and that wood has now been formed to create flowers next spring. Pruning now could be cutting off this bloom wood. Summer flowering hydrangeas, mostly white color flowers, such as Annabelle, Limelight, and others bloom off of new growth. They can be cut back during the winter months. It is a lot to learn but, at the same time, so important to know the family types of hydrangeas and all the proper care times. Doug

If not, can you recommend another max 3ft high flowering shrub for south facing bed? I already have a long row of neat sprinter boxwoods that I purchased form Meadows Farms. I just need something to go behind it. Do you think encore azaleas or Asiatic lilies would survive full sun?

Susan,
Good question. Before attempting to answer this question I did a little research. Of all my information on flowers that support our pollinators Hydrangea is not on the list of flowers. So, I want to think not about any hydrangeas. Doug

Jennifer,
Good Morning. My main concern is the side of the house that will get the afternoon sun. Keep in mind that that is a lot of extra heat bouncing off the side of the house onto these hydrangeas. As for planting. as to how far apart from each other will depend on the variety of hydrangea. In general I would use the 3 foot rule. and, keep the plants 3 ft. away from the house. Doug

Elizabeth,
Good Morning. Fall is a great planting season. But, if you are ready to plant these Bloom Struck then I would say to go ahead. Keep them watered through the summer, which is what you would have to do if they remained in pots through the summer. good luck, Doug