Sad hydrangea

could you plant it in the garden they are hardy in most of britain,(i dont know how cold it gets with you) you need to take off the flowers as they are taking the strength from a very young plant, next year it may not have flowers but if you feed it in the spring and keep it watered it should grow' for you, as to the future allow the flowers to stay on even after leaf fall as the old heads protect the new buds and then only prune for shape and try to only remove old wood and not more than a third of the shrub at a time ( I hardly ever prune mine and it has loads of flowers every year
hope it helps I rescued one last year that was 4 bare stems, no flowers this year but as its grown well I have high hopes for next year

It can drop to -30 here tho -20 is more normal. I don't think many people have them outside in the winter unless they are very well-established bushes....

could a neighbour look after it for you, if you re-pot it it won't need much looking after just keeping moist
and then look after as above--good luck--

Don't take the flower heads off, Cestina - I'd repot and put in your cool greenhouse, take off flowerheads and any dead bits next spring when growth starts again. If the greenhouse is also very cold, might help to wrap the pot in bubblewrap to protect the roots more.

Sadly I don't have a greenhouse. I think I'll have to go and talk to my long-suffering neighbour who already has to rush up the garden to throw fleece over fuchsias if I am away in October, and has to come up to water them in June/July when the temps are well over 30. I do try to be here from May to November but usually with the occasional trip back to the UK to see the grandchildren.

So as I understand it, unlike the fuchsias, it should stay in the light?

Sorry, Cestina, I misread what you said - yes, leave it in the empty, cool house, but close to a window so it still gets light.