Getting Through March

By this time of year the gardener is usually able to report a noticeable change in the garden, but often the change is in the soul of the gardener and not the garden.  After a mild day or two we convince ourselves that it is the beginning of the New Year.  In Manhattan, daffodils are poking their noses through the soil of street-side apartment house planters, cozying up to the warmth coming from the buildings.  

A Reader's Question

“The hydrangeas on my terrace here in Northern Provence have started to bud, with some tiny pale green keaves already opening.  I am not pleased with the current shape of the bushes as each has lost many odd branches over the winter.  Is it still okay to prune them?  If so, do you have any tips?  Thank you!”
… Anonymous in Provence
   
           Oh to be anonymous in Provence… but that doesn’t answer your question.  First the conventional wisdom, and then the outliers.