Some of my mopheads are flopping, although ES might not be (I haven't looked at it closely lately). I believe that the very wet spring we had resulted in too-fast growth, long and somewhat weak wood in this year's flowering branches.

I've staked a few of them, which isn't an easy thing to do because the stakes have to be pretty hefty.

I've seen this before. Next year, if it's drier, some of the flowers may be "inside" the foliage, because the new stems will be comparatively short (for some reason I'm having a hard time describing this!). I think that makes this a good year for harvesting lots of flowers, on long stems.

Oh my goodness, banish the thought of a hedge trimmer from anywhere in the vicinity of a hydrangea. When a hedge trimmer is within a mile, the hydrangea turns into a meatball.

I was just reading Dirr's wonderful book on hydrangeas, and he developed ES and helped get it to the public. If I have a few minutes tonight, I'll reread what he says about trimming back ES and its offspring, and write back. But I'm sure someone here can tell you in the meanwhile. But I know the short answer is you can cut back ES and it will still bloom and be less floppy than if left unpruned.

In New England most hydrangeas do just fine in part sun and some shade.

DTD may be right on. But did you fertilize this spring? They don't need fertilizer.

Idabean

Tulipsmiles,
I really did not read your post carefully, and I apologize for giving you advice you didn't ask for or need and writing as though you were going to make a meatball of your shrub.

There are sometimes when people (me) should just read and shut up.
Idabean

My ES is symmetrical, probably because it dies back to where ever the snow was when it got really cold, most often ground level. Perhaps yours has different growing conditions so that it doesn't grow evenly or winter sheltering is influenced by buildings or plants so that winter survival of branches is irregular and the branches start the growing season at different lengths.

I am not experiencing flopping on ES, only on Annabelle (a type of H. arborescens) which by nature has stems a bit too weak for the large size of the flowerheads.

2lips,
I think your ES is flopping and not symmetrical because it is a gangly teenager. Give it another year or two.
kt

If you truly inclined to get an answer to 'floppy' mopheads macrophillas then wait untill autumn when leaves will fall off and skeleton of the shrub will be revealed.
You'll discover that 'flopping' canes are those that are
-a)growing on a periphery of shrub and
-b)thinner and weaker than those close to the center and
-c)1 year old.

Solution:
-during the spring clean-up remove all those ground huging canes and canes growing at angle of less than 45 degrees to the ground level,(This suggestion especially helpfull for ES.)
and as a part of regular maintanance for healthy and productive macrophillas
-remove all 4-5 years old canes from the center or at least shorten them to the lowest pair of strong pair of buds, but don't leave more than 12-15" of the old wood. Thus you'll be giving way to new strong vertical canes to grow from the center.

Thank you all for the info and advice. Idabean, no need to apoligize!! I really do appreciate anyone who responds, taking the time to help me.

I have included a pic that I was finally able to post.
Ego 45, as I view my pic and then your detailed directions above, (thank you!) It seems you are right on. I think it will be much more spherical in shape and therefor stronger.

Here is the photo: Please disregard the weeds!!

Again in my mind a teenager. Be patient time will improve stem strength and overall shape.

tulipsmiles, can you resize that photo on photobucket? Its large size makes it impossible to read the thread without scrolling back and forth on every line. Thanks - DtD

tulipsmiles - mine is doing the same thing. Everything is down except for a couple of stems without blooms and one stem with one huge bloom. Mine is about 4 years old, but didn't do much until the third year.

One stem is woody and still flopped - it's bent pretty close to the bottom. It does however have about 5 blooms on it, so I guess even the woody stem couldn't hold them up. I was admiring the bush one day. The next day I looked outside and most of it was down! I don't think it had even rained that night.

I have two ES up against my house facing North. They are both flopped and have been for the past few years. I know they don't like alot of sun but these get very little so I'm wondering if could they be stretching for sunlight causing them to flop.

Mine is flopping also. It is full grown and does not usually do this. I think it grew too much, too fast in the spring due to the rain. It was in its normal, unflopped state until a few weeks ago. The Nikko Blues are not flopping and did not grow as much.

The pruning described sounds involved, we're lucky if we get them pruned at all! When we do get it done in the fall, we find it does best to cut back in a 45 degree angle. That way the closes to the front are shortest and less 'floppy'. I've tried the low metal boarder fencing on some endless summer hydrangeas. They still gather at the bottom, but at least don't hit the ground.