Mike E writes

"K" wrote in message
...
Mike E writes
can anyone tell me why my hydrangea hasnt flowered or even budded in
the last couple of years


Have you pruned it?

yes but i think too hard to be frank

That would probably explain it, then.

Try not pruning it this year and see what happens next year. I'm asuming
we're talking about the usual 'mophead' hydrangea.

I can't remember the official pruning instructions for Hydrangea, but
they do include not pruning too hard. I think it's something like "prune
to the first pair of fat buds below the old flower head". And I think
people tend to prune them in spring, so the dying flower heads provide
frost protection over winter.

I've got two largish hydrangeas, and I'm not wonderfully fond of them.
So I take off smaller flower heads to fill flower vases (I find it
difficult to fill flower vases in summer because I'm aware most things
last longer outside so I'm relucatant to pick them. Winter is easier
because then I know that I'll enjoy them more for a few days in the
house than at the end of a rain-soaked garden), then I may cut some more
stems at Christmas to spray silver or gold for decoration, then I cut
everything back to the first fat bud sometime in the spring. And if I
want the bush to become substantially smaller, then I cut back much more
severely, but not all the branches, then complete the job the following
year, so that I till have some flowers.

--
Kay