I'm having a tough time today locating photos.

So, I need help -- please post the url of the page that has the pictures.

Jean - thanks so much.... here's the link.....

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hydra/hpgal0715322428456.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos of hydrangea leaves

I see it's in a pot. Has it gone dry, even though only slightly? If so, it's normal -- but not desirable -- for the older leaves to yellow and drop before their normal time.

As for the spots, if they're on only a few of the bottom leaves, I doubt it's a problem.

But I also see water droplets on all those leaves. Is that rain or do you always water from the top? In either case, the free moisture can promote leaf disease.

Hello, Janice. Brown leaf spots that begin near the base of the plant and which spread upwards could be cercospora leaf spot.

To address this, monitor these leaf spots to see if they increase, improve air flow around the plant if other plants are near it (you may have to transplant the others), dispose of any plant debris in the trash (not the compost pile), water the soil instead of the leaves, prevent the area near the plant from being wet or very humid, replace the existing mulch with new mulch, etc. If the spots are on a handful of leaves, consider cutting off the infected leaves. If these controls do not help and the spots continue to spread to more healthy leaves, then consider applying a fungicide.

Once an outbreak of cercospora starts, it will re-occur every year so apply fungicides as soon as you notice them. Recommended fungicides: any whose list of active ingredients contains either mancozeb, myclobutanil, thiophanate-methyl or chlorothalonil. Examples: Daconil, Immunox, Cleary's 3336.

As stated before, these fungicides will help control outbreaks but will not cure the plant. That is why you will continue having yearly outbreaks and why you need to re-apply the fungicides as soon as you notice the symptoms. It can look ugly if untreated but this fungal infection does not kill the plant.

Good luck Janice,
Luis

Here is a link that might be useful: Cercospora Leaf Spot