We planted H. Macrophylla 'Glowing Embers' last summer, and the tag said to wait until spring to prune. I live in zone 5a, and didn't cover (didn't know to) it over the winter. I know that it blooms on old wood, but how can I tell if the buds got ruined from the freezes? If they are, should I just dig up the plant and get rid of it, or if I go ahead and prune it will it still be okay? Is there anything else I can do to nurse it a bit?
H. Macrophylla 'Glowing Embers'
The plant itself will be absolutely fine so I definitely wouldn't dig it up, the worst that will happen is if the buds did freeze then you won't have flowers this year. No need to nurse it or do anything special now unless you're expecting some more freezing weather, in which case you may want to cover it in case the buds aren't already damaged.