CALLING ALL GARDENERS

Let me be perfectly honest here, my friends. I am about as good a gardener as I am a cook…just so you know where I’m coming from.

I have had great success doing large container gardens. But, when things go into the ground…that’s where my trouble starts. The only thing I have ever grown well in the ground were hostas…and my mother actually picked out the spot and helped me put them into the ground. Those I left at our other house, though I do want to go and get some of them to move over here. They came from my Grandmother’s yard in NC. I have always wanted a yard with lots of large hydrangeas growing…so large that I could pick some every day and never pick them all. I dream big! And, so we planted several bushes when we had the yard landscaped. They bloomed last year, and were beautiful. But, all I did was enjoy them. God handled the rest.

So, here’s my question. They look all brown all the way down from the dried flowers to the ground. Should I cut them back now, or will I cut off the new growth? They look dead to me. And, maybe they are…what with us HAVING SNOW ON THE GROUND FOR 2 DAYS HERE IN THE DEEP SOUTH!!!! I don’t want them to be dead. And, if I need to do something to them, I know I should probably be doing it about now. Here it’s been sunny and in the 60’s…so spring is definitely on the way.

I would so appreciate some help. Thanks for taking pity on this sad wanna be gardener.