Many people here play this game, but quite frankly, I think you're fighting a losing battle, especially with any of the macrophylas out in open areas. That said, the most common method used tends to be making a wire cage out of chicken wire or some other sort of fencing, and filling with leaves. While I can't say it won't work, my worry with the plastic bucket idea is that it's trapping everything in with it, good and bad, instead of allowing for air flow. If the buckets are not much of an expense to you, and you want to use them, you might consider cutting the bottom out of them. That would take advantage of them blocking wind on the sides, but still allow for air transfer from top to bottom.

Yes, that was our idea to turn the pots unside down over the plants and have the top (actually bottom) cut out and fill with mulch. The one problem I just thought of though is would the wind blow away the pots. Perhaps if we didnt cut out the complete bottom but a portion of it so we could place a rock on top to help weigh them down? Oh dear, these hydrangeas are becoming quite the chore! We just bought a big roll of burlap as well so we will try to protect them somehow.

Hi Roseabbey - I had a 16 y/o Nikko in '06, when I first learned thru this wonderful *GardenWeb* how to enjoy blossoms every season ... & have since!

The site *Hydrangea-Hydrangeas* is another place to learn from. Since we have similar zone, I hope that my link below will help as well. I have also used w/ success, the flat board method.

Good luck! ~Â;)

Here is a link that might be useful: Protecting garden Divas

I decided after much reading, to just flatten my hydrangeas out last year (around November/December). I grabed a bunch of stems starting from the center and going outward - and bent the stems down to the ground. I weighed them down with bricks, rocks and old clay pots and mounded dirt, mulch, dead Christmas trees and old wreath, fallen leaves, whatever I could find. I did this twice, first when I covered them initially and in the middle of winter, when we had a thaw and I noticed some of the covering had mashed down. (I just had an extra bag of mulch and dirt that I threw on them - it helps when they are not frozen BTW). I uncovered them a bit early (April) but I got flowers on all my hydrangeas this year, even with the late frost. Next year - I will wait until early May. They bounce right back as soon as the weight is taken off them. I also added generous amounts of snow whenever I had the chance since that helps insulate as well. None of my mophead hydrangeas are out in the open, and I limit myself to a handful since they require so much fussing. Invincible Spirit, Limelight, and Quickfire are all really nice and can be a little more exposed and do not need shelter/covering.

Good luck