The One Thing to Know Before Drying Hydrangeas

Since late-spring and early summer, hydrangea season has been in full swing in the South. Gardens have been filled with everyone’s favorite flower, it’s lush blooms thriving in a range of bright blue, purple, pink, and white hues. It’s hard to walk through your neighborhood without spotting a few colorful bushes of this iconic flower in every yard. As fall approaches, preserve some beloved summer color to enjoy all year round by decorating your home with dried hydrangeas.

Before you start snipping, take a look at your hydrangea bush. The one thing to know before drying hydrangeas is that in order to maintain a beautiful arrangement, you must cut the flowers off the shrub at the right time. This is the key to displaying these colorful blooms in your home year round. Wait until just after peak season to cut your hydrangeas, but don’t wait so long that the leaves are turning brown. Keep an eye on the color of your hydrangeas; during peak season, the colors of the petals are bright and saturated. When you notice the colors beginning to soften or fade (usually at the end of summer), this is the time to cut them off the bush.

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Determining when to pick your hydrangeas can be the trickiest part. The rest of the process is easy. Simply arrange your cut blooms in a vase filled with water. Enjoy your fresh arrangement, let the water evaporate from the vase, and allow the flowers to dry naturally. Be careful not to overcrowd the vase so the hydrangeas plenty of room. Keep the arrangement in cool temperatures and out of direct sunlight. There are several other methods for drying hydrangeas as well, like hanging bouquets upside down in a cool, dark space for a few weeks.