Hydrangeas are known for their big, beautiful cluster flower heads, but often do not know how to care for them properly, which can prevent them from . In May, are just beginning to grow again, and often or prune them now to help encourage bigger blooms in the future.

However, Heather Stoven from , has warned gardeners that the key to getting lots of hydrangea flowers is to give them lots of water and avoid other common gardening jobs. Heather said: "Avoid ; the resulting lush new growth will be sensitive to further damage from heat waves later in the summer. Also avoid fertilising as excess fertiliser can attract pests to the ."

It may seem obvious to fertilise plants to get more flowers, but now in May is far too early to feed hydrangeas. Fertilising hydrangeas now will result in weak growth that is unlikely to survive in the heat and will attract insects who look for softener foliage as it is easier for them to eat.

Many hydrangeas such as bigleaf or oakleaf have already formed their flower buds, and pruning them now will risk cutting off the blooms so you will not get any flowers at all.

It is now just the wrong time to prune or fertile hydrangeas, and doing both now will simply stress out the plant when it is actually growing, so you are likely to damage it.

However, hydrangeas are thirsty plants due to the big leaves which can quickly lose water, and the biggest mistake gardeners make is not watering them enough in May.

Hydrangeas have just begun growing again, and it is crucial to water them properly now to help establish strong roots so they can retain more water once summer arrives.

If hydrangeas do not get enough water while they are growing new roots, then the plant will not be strong enough to grow flowers or can even die if under too much stress.

Heather said: "If not enough water is available in the soil, or it is lost to the atmosphere faster than it can be replaced, then the plant tissue where the water can't reach will die. This is why we see so many brown, crispy leaf edges. It is also possible for high heat itself to cause tissue death."

The best way to help hydrangeas at the moment is to water them deeply and keep the soil hydranted, but make sure you are watering at the right time.

It is better to water hydrangeas in the morning as the hotter weather later on in the day will cause water evaporation and a significant amount of moisture will not make it to the soil.

Watering plants in the morning allows hydrangeas to absorb water more efficiently and ensures the roots are hydrated throughout the day, which helps them grow stronger and healthier.

Heather said: "Water plants deeply prior to the heat event so that the root zone is well hydrated."

If you simply choose the right time to water hydrangeas and do it consistently then you will help this beautiful plants grow to their full potential so you get lots of lovely big blooms once summer arrives.