DIY Dried Hydrangeas
Can you believe summer is already drawing to a close? I truly cannot. But this time of year is prime time for one of my favorite garden DIYs—dried hydrangeas! When I say prime time, I mean that quite literally. To turn these pretty blooms into beautiful dried hydrangeas, you have to pick them at exactly the right time—not a few days early or late. My simple step-by-step process below will help you learn when to pick your hydrangeas, as well as the best method for drying them. It’s so easy!
1. First, admire your beautiful blossoms! Your hydrangeas made it through the summer—congrats! This project can be done with any color or flower variation, but mine are limelight hydrangeas. I have some large hedges and others (you’ve probably seen on my social media) are tall trees in pots. The size of your hydrangea depends on the amount of space you give it to grow.
2. The biggest part of choosing hydrangeas to dry is making sure you pick ones that have already started to dry ever-so-slightly. There are several indicators, and the first is color. For limelight hydrangeas, the ones that are not ready are a brighter white, while the more mature flowers have turned a softer green. Second, feel the flowers. The ready hydrangeas will feel almost papery. Lastly, listen to the sound the flowers make as you run your fingers through them. Ready hydrangeas sound like the petals are rustling together; the others make hardly any sound at all.
3. Some of your blooms might have brown spots on them. This is okay if there aren’t too many. If there are only a few, you can pluck them off.
4. Before you cut your hydrangeas, decide how long you want the stems of your dried flowers. If they are going in a vase, they don’t need to be too long. If you are going to use them in a large arrangement or wreath, cut the stems a couple of feet long. Dried hydrangeas also look great in a Christmas tree. If you want to use them for the holidays, cut the stems right at the base. (The clippers pictured are my absolute favorite! They are by Fiskars, and you can find them in my Amazon store.)
5. After cutting, strip the stem of its leaves. During the drying process, the leaves can get moldy or create a mess, so it’s best just to take them off. I do this right out in my garden to give the greenery back to the soil.
6. Some people hang the flowers upside down to dry. While this can work, my method actually involves water! Grab a vase and add water and a couple drops of bleach, then place your hydrangeas in the mixture. This method keeps the flowers looking fresh after they are dried and also helps them keep the beautiful color. The key here is to change out the bleach water every few days. Using this method also gives you a lovely bouquet to enjoy while they dry!
If you try this method at home, reach out on Facebook or Instagram to let me know how they turn out. And stay tuned for a gorgeous fall wreath made with this batch of dried hydrangeas!