I planted the most beautiful hydrangea this spring. It was vivid pink and had lovely foliage. Now look at it! What have I done wrong, and how can I bring it back? It gets a little morning sun, then dappled sun/shade for most of the day.

I don't see anything really wrong w it? How long ago did you plant it? Sometimes after planting, some plants will loose some leaves and regrow them later. I think it just needs some time to adjust. Is the soil well draining? Most plants do not like wet roots.

I planted it about 5 weeks ago. The blooms have browned considerably--they're not nearly as vivid as they were--and the leaves are brown/red on the edges. The soil drains pretty well, though it is more clay-like than loamy. I've not noticed any new growth at all. When do I prune it? How do I know if I'm watering too much?

You are not going to get new growth for a while. It is just adjusting to being moved. Since it has been planted recently the blooms will probably fade and die much faster than they will next year. I think I would just do nothing right now and wait and see what it does next year. It is a shrub that will take a while to root and start growing, it just needs some time. Also for most hydrangea that bloom color can change quite a bit as it goes from first blooming to fading away. Mine started white, then turned pink, next a dark burgundy and finally dried and was a tan/brown just before winter.

Thanks very much! That makes me feel a lot better!