Question
QUESTION: 6 years ago when my mother-in-law passed we received a beautiful hydrangea.  I planted it in my yard and after 3 years it had one bloom.  But for the past three years it is not blooming at all.  It is a beautiful shrub, but I really would like the blooms.  I do prume at the beginning of each spring.  What am I doing wrong that it keeping it from blooming?

ANSWER: Hi Donna,
Thanx for your question.  The reason your hydrangea is not blooming is because you are cutting off all of the blooming points when you prune in the early spring.  If your hydrangea needs pruning you should do it after the plant has bloomed.  Usually, one does not need to do much pruning to a hydrangea unless you have a lot of clutter or dead growth in its midst or you want to reduce its size.  Most flowering shrubs should be pruned right after they finish blooming.  The later you prune the more chance you take of pruning away the future blooming points.
I hope this helps.
Tom

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What I am cutting is the dead sticks before it turns green.  Is that what blooms?  They have no leaves just last years old branches that are brown.  I am not cutting anything green.  Maybe this isn't a hydrangea.  I was told that is what is was.

Answer
Hi Donna,
Thanx for your question.  Most flower buds develop on old stems.  If you have a late freeze or you prune off these stems, you won't get blossoms.

This link from professional Hydrangea fanciers will help demonstrate my point.

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/wont_bloom.html

I hope this helps.
Tom