Hydrangeas are probably my favorite flower. The blooms are gigantic, and they go through their own amazing transformation throughout the seasons, changing colors multiple times. This year we had so many blooms I decided to dry my hydrangeas to use in my Fall decor. They were pink in the spring but are now a lovely green/mauve color (and a few are brown – perfect for Fall)! Learning how to dry hydrangeas is really quite easy. There are several ways to go about it, but the method I am sharing here is probably the easiest!
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What you’ll Need:
- large bucket
- water
- several glass jars
- pruning shears
- hydrangea to cut! (We grow ours both in ground and in large pots – both seem to do well, and best in moderate sun!)
How To:
Step 1: Make sure you have watered your hydrangeas very well throughout the winter/spring/summer seasons. They like a lot of water and generally produce more blooms when they are watered frequently and well.
Step 2: The perfect time to cut your hydrangeas is when they start changing colors in the mid-late summer, and you notice some of the petals are turning brown. Fill a large bucket with water and cut the hydrangeas off of the bush using sharp pruning shears. Leave a decent stem length if you are able to do so (this just gives you more options for decor later on). Remove all of the leaves from the stems and immediately place the fresh cut blooms in the bucket of water.
Step 3: Bring your cut stems inside, and fill several glass jars with 3-4 inches of water (I used mason jars).
TIP: If you have blooms with very short stems, you can place them into a bowl with a couple of inches of water at the bottom, rather than a jar.
Step 4: Use your pruning shears to cut the stems to varying lengths, and place them in your jars, making sure each bloom has ample space around it (air flow is important to the drying process).
Step 5: Give your blooms about a week-10 days to drink up the water and dry out. Giving them the water and allowing them to dry this way will help them last longer and dry more naturally! In the meantime, you can display your hydrangeas as is on a table or nighstand!
Step 6: Use in decor, for wreath making, or any other way your heart desires!
I hope this easy tutorial on how to dry hydrangeas was helpful for you, and that you are able to enjoy your own hydrangeas for much longer than they would survive on the plant itself! And I’ll be back in a few weeks once I style these up for Fall for ya! Until next time…
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