Stems that are broken can be pruned down, all the way or partially. But try to prop the rest too; older stems become stronger as the years pass so you should try not to prune but support old stems; new growth is usually the weakest.

Old stems will probably need some propping as well if the plant is in a unsheltered area. This is because instead of one giant bloom on a new stem, there will be several medium sized ones on an old one, which can bear quite a bit of weight with moisture.

When you're pruning the broken stems, be sure to save all the blooms and dry them - give them to friends for gorgeous bouquets!

Sorry this happened! Annabelle may well put out more stems to fill in some of the spaces, so may look better later in the season.

In the future, plant on putting supports in after the ground thaws in spring, but before the growth is a foot high. I've learned with my peonies that the leaves do a better job of camouflaging the supports if they grow around them. If the supports are added afterwards, they look a bit more awkward.

Thanks everyone!

As you know there are several types of Hydrangeas. Mop head, lace cap, paniculata, aspera, and what I call a Flop Head! You should have seen the look on a neighbor's face - Master Gardener - when I was explaining this to a newbie - with a totally straight face. lol Rain or too much overhead sprinkling will turn your mop head into a flop head!

Curious what kind of "supports" can be used and where you get them?

Some people use wire fencing around the base of the shrub. It works best when set up while the plant is dormant because the leaves have dried out and you can see the stems more clearly. Others use stakes used to prop us gladiolus. Some ties can also be used to attach difficult stems together or against a stake or against two stakes. Planting together as in a hedge can also help stems prop each other together. Here is one picture I found in the Internet (you can use thinner wire too):

http://hydrangeashydrangeas.com/images/annabelle_stake.jpg

Here is information about Annabelle:

http://hydrangeashydrangeas.com/annabelle2.html

This offseason I'm gonna use green metal fence posts with some green clothes line through the notches. The posts are only a couple of bucks each for a 3-footer. Just lightly pound in three posts per shrub with a sledge hammer and string a cage to suit. Lines can be adjusted during growth.

You can see a bit of the fence here in the bottom right corner. Nothing fancy as you can see.

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