When I hung out at AOL's gardening forum, I got to know Carolyn Male, a lovely lady completely obsessed with tomatoes (she literally wrote the book on heritage varieties). She strongly believed that blossom end rot of tomatoes was an uneven moisture problem. Her solution was better soil and lots of mulch.

Janie, is there a foundation, concrete walk, or concrete rubble anywhere near those hydrangeas? Even a few buried bricks with mortar will change the pH for a few feet in all directions. I have a campanula that will migrate 4 feet over a season to cuddle up to a concrete walkway. The only explanation I can think of is that it's seeking the lime.

Meanwhile I see the ants have been busy spreading my spiderworts. It's a reminder of the underground world around me.