Question
A couple of years ago my mother noticed that, come the new season and new growth, her fuschias started to 'shrivel' on the central core of the plant %26 not flower.  The same symptoms have now appeared on her hydrangea #she expects no flowering from her mature plants#.  Do you think it is a pest or disease?  We have trawled the books/internet for info, but can't find anything.  Please help! #Oh, and we are based in the UK!#

Answer
Hi Sian,
Thanx for your question.  Without pictures, it's not easy to come to a determination of what kind of pest or disease the plant may have.  It sounds like botrytis which is a type of fungus to which both plants can be susceptible.  Botrytis is aggravated by moist, humid conditions.  Avoid watering plants from overhead and water at their bases instead.  I believe one can use Mancozeb on these plants if necessary.  Plucking off diseased leaves and removing dead plant material from the garden area will also help.  I advise that you take some leaf samples to a local nursery or your local garden society to see if they can help identify the disease.  I don't believe it is a pest.  I hope this helps.
Tom