In my April Connecticut garden, the first hydrangeas I'm pruning are the ones that flower on the growth they will put on this year, better known as "new wood." In hydrangea-land, those are hydrangeas arborescens or woodland/smooth hydrangeas like 'Annabelle', or for example any plant that has Incrediball® or Invincibelle® in its name. There are many others. They will all have "arborescens" as the second part of their name. The flowers are round and either white or shades of pink. None are blue and you can't change their color.

Yes, it's time to prune new wood hydrangeas. Now that it is mid spring and your hydrangeas are dormant or just beginning to leaf out, this is the time to get those clippers out for some of them. When I say some, I mean those that bloom on new wood, the growth they will put on in the current season. In the late fall when they still have their leaves, wait until they are leafless and have gone completely dormant before you cut them. You can also do this pruning in winter when they are fast asleep. It is critical for pruning new wood hydrangeas that you wait until all growth has stopped in the current year. That's because pruning always stimulates a plant. If you prune while there are still leaves on that plant, it will continue to grow and possibly start producing the buds for flowers you want next year. That means in a cold winter climate those flowers might not survive and you will be the one to blame for that. Just wait it out and let the plan...