By the looks of it, they're not mature enough to stand on their own yet.

Thanks I won't give up yet. Maybe next year I will put a fence around then in early spring.

Or any time after the leaves have dried out and fallen so you can see what you are doing.

After seeing the picture a second time, it looks like it snowed and some snow remains covering the sides of the shrub. Ha!

Oh my..have never seen ANY hydrangea that flat..hope they recover..looks like you had beautiful blooms..

Here's my 5 y.o. VS. After 3" of rain last night.

I want mine to look like that. So I should not prune but just cut the blooms off?

Thanaks for the picture

Well, mine could use somewhat of a pruning at this point, but yes, with this particular one I've stuck *mainly* to cutting the blooms off.

Personally, I would recommend to anyone that they not hard prune their VS until it's about mine's age or so.

That is what I wll do in hopes the stems will get stronger.

looks like they were just planted this year, right?

This is the second summer for VS and Zinfin doll.

OK, I figured they were fairly young plants. Don't worry about it at all. The stems will get thicker and thus stiffer with age. I see the foliage looks healthy and its blooming well, which is the most important thing.