What shall I do with my hydrangeas?

[PrinceHaz]

I think I got them about 3 or 4 years ago. They had beautiful flowers, one blue and one white. At the end of that first summer MIL pruned them to within an inch of their lives (we hadn’t asked her to). So, due to this I think, they didn’t flower the next year.
Someone suggested I didn’t prune them that summer to give them a chance to eventually flower again so I let them keep growing Now they’re like straggly triffids, not pretty and bushy.
I would be really grateful if any one could advise what I could do from today. Could I prune now? If not, when shall I wait till?
Thanks for reading.

What type of hydrangeas?

Can you post a photo ?

Normally I would prune hydrangeas in the early spring; so maybe MIL's pruning has delayed flowering. You can cut them quite hard back to shape the bush as (most if not all) flower on this season's growth.

Some varieties such as the hydrangea paniculata hybrids like Hydrangea "Limelight" can get rather leggy and may need support when reaching flowering size.

Mine is only just starting to form buds, and they are still hidden by leaves at the tips of the branches, so wait and see. If there's no sign of buds in a fortnight, I'd cut them back by half so they have plenty of time to bush out a bit and grow some more branches before autumn. Then next year, fingers crossed.

At the end of that first summer MIL pruned them to within an inch of their lives (we hadn’t asked her to).

Not for now but going forward, you should leave the flower heads on hydrangeas until the spring because it protects the budding plants from frost. As a side bonus you get a very structurally and visually interesting plant through the winter.

A photo would be helpful.
What type are they?

Thanks for helpful advice everyone. Here is a pic.

I think I can see flower buds forming in the photo; mine are very late this year too.

Yes I'm sure there are flower buds there. Do nothing OP, until maybe March.

We leave them over the winter and then hard prune in March/ early April. They look lovely in the frost and seem to do well. No flowers here yet- but loads of early buds.

Do not buy replacement hydrangeas from Lidl - they are not hardy and wither and die despite being tended 😡👍🏿☘️

Leave them for now, they look like they will flower this year. Leave the heads on over winter. Prune in April once you see new growth.

Thanks all for helpful advice. When I prune, how much should I leave?