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If your hydrangeas are looking weary or haven't been delivering the spectacular blooms you were hoping for, don't abandon them just yet.

According to horticultural expert Pat Sullivan, August represents the most crucial month for providing these plants with the attention they require to flourish and deliver a breathtaking spectacle next season - and it all boils down to one straightforward task.

Sullivan, who has guided gardeners for decades, revealed in a 93 WIBC segment that many people have misconceptions about hydrangeas, especially the pink and blue varieties, referred to as macrophyllas.

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"Hydrangeas have become very confusing," he said, noting that one of the most significant errors people commit is positioning them in unsuitable locations. "These are not shade plants," he added.

Whilst they cannot withstand scorching afternoon sun, they do require abundant morning light to promote vigorous flowering, reports the Express.

"If you get too much shade, you'll get foliage and no blooms," he cautioned. The ideal location for these varieties, therefore, would be an east-facing spot that receives brilliant sunlight in the morning and shade by early afternoon.

For those cultivating paniculatas - the resilient white varieties - the guidelines differ. These are far more accepting of intense afternoon sun and can be positioned in locations that would prove too harsh for their pink and blue counterparts.

But once they're in the right place, how do you get them to really thrive?

Sullivan says August is the crucial month for action. "In the month of August, you want to keep them watered, fertilized, and do a little trimming," he explained.

This gentle pruning is the "simple task" that could make all the difference to how your hydrangeas appear, both now and next year. Why August?

Because macrophyllas develop their flower buds on both old and new wood, and pruning at the correct time ensures you don't accidentally remove next season's blooms. "Once you trim them up in August, that's it for the season," Sullivan said.

"If you go trimming in the fall, you could be cutting off some of the colour for the next year."

This makes August the perfect window for giving them a tidy-up without damaging their potential.

On top of trimming, feeding your hydrangeas now will give them a much-needed boost. Sullivan recommends using a good-quality fertiliser a couple of times a year, helping to strengthen the plant and encourage more vibrant flowers.

For those chasing the classic blue hydrangea look, he also suggested acidifying the soil with aluminium sulphate. "People here in the Midwest want to make them blue, so you have to acidify the soil," he explained.

In more acidic soils, hydrangeas naturally turn blue, while in neutral or alkaline soils, they'll shift toward pink. Paniculatas, on the other hand, are more lenient when it comes to pruning.

As they grow on new wood, they can be cut back more drastically in early spring without jeopardising flower production.