My clethra is showing no sign of buds developing. Can't figure out why but maybe it was the winter we had?

OUCH! Sorry to hear of all of your plant problems. While I endured that late winter ice storm (down here at the shore), I tried as best as I could to address ice ladened branches (especially the ilex pudunculosa which has since seen two limbs shoot up to almost 15' tall now......that'll be a real bear to address come next winter).

All of my plants survived the winter quite well. I have numerous clethra (the native alnifola, 5 ruby spice, a couple of hummingbirds, tree clethra and the cinnamon barked beaurvi (sp) that is nearly 10' tall......all are sporting nice candles which should flower in the next week or so.

My oakleaf hydrangea is probably 20' around with it along with many of the clethra being almost street side, thus being exposed to the elements, salt, etc.

While I can explain the problems that may have caused your plants to die off, are they mulched? are in you in a heavy clay soil area? I'm blessed with a sandy loam and I've used oak leaves to coat my beds for the last 5 years. All of my plants thrive accordingly, though I do have to water a bit more vigorously in times of drought, etc.

The good thing is that you didn't tear the plants out of the ground. As you can see, the plants are recovering and in a few seasons, should be back to normal size and flourishing.

The only fallout I suffered was my dahlias... for the past several years they have survived in the ground, but this year only one survived, most likely because it is on the southside of my foundation.
And strangely I have a terrible invasion, a plague, of bagworms on my beech trees :(

Ted, would you suggest that I leave the two plants that started to leaf out and then the growth ceased, a clethra and the oak leaf hydrangea, in the ground in the hope that they might regrow from the ground next year or should I pull them now?

Thanks.

NJtea, cut the wood and look for green. Then check the crown of the plants. I have had plants with a lot of damage take a season or two to come back. Sometimes its worth it and sometimes its not.