Hello and welcome Sudee! It all depends on when you prune your hydrangeas. It sounds as if you're pruning them at the wrong time of year. Hydrangeas are hardy throughout Britain, they don't need fleece. What they do need is for you to leave the flower heads on until next spring. The old flower heads give the new growth enough protection against frost.

But the important bit is not to prune the bushes at all until late March in southern Britain or April in the north. Hydrangeas flower on old wood. If you prune them in summer or autumn you're cutting off next year's flowers. Leave your hydrangeas alone from now on and you should get flowers in summer 2012.

Once you've got them flowering only take off the dead heads (cut off just above a pair of nice fat buds), spindly growth in the centre of the bush and old dead wood. So get the secateurs out again for them in spring 2013!