Right Now Is The Perfect Time To Dry Hydrangeas: Here's How To Do It

The big leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is the centerpiece of any garden. Whether these flowers are planted in your garden or languishing in a vase on your kitchen table, their distinct fluffy bloom clusters make for a beautiful decoration. Unfortunately, like all flowers, they eventually wilt and die. To enjoy your hydrangeas for a little longer, you can dry them, but you should get started sooner rather than later.

Late summer and early autumn are the best times to dry hydrangeas, as the flowers will be fully mature and partially dried and faded already. This provides a fuller, more voluminous result. The same drying techniques work for both bigleaf hydrangeas and panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata), including 'Candy Apple,' a hydrangea variety that's perfect for containers and dries naturally on the stem in the winter. When choosing hydrangeas for drying, keep in mind that the flowers' color will fade as they dry, so an already pale or white flower will keep its appearance better than a vibrant blue flower.

The drying process begins with cutting. In the morning, when the blooms are fresh, snip the stems 12 to 18 inches below the flower, angling your cuts to improve the stem's ability to absorb water. Leaving long stems allows you to experiment with vessels and gives you plenty of excess for trimming down to size. Pinch the stem toward the top, below the first set of leaves, and run your fingers down the stem to strip off the extra leaves. Once the stem is mostly bare, gently submerge the flowers in a pot of cold water to wash off any bugs that might be clinging to the underside of the petals. Shake off the water and let the flowers drip dry.

Washing the flowers can be messy, so it is best to do so outside if you can, but the kitchen counter works just fine if you don't mind a bit of clean up. If you're cleaning your hydrangeas inside, place a towel beneath them while they dry to absorb the excess water before it hits your counter or floor. While you're cleaning up the excess leaves, you might notice some holes. Read up on why your hydrangea plant leaves have holes and learn the best way to prevent more from appearing.

There are a few ways to dry hydrangeas, including hang-drying, but drying them in a vase can be more efficient for you and better for the flowers if they have thick stems. Select a vase that you can see through, as this will allow you to monitor your hydrangeas as they dry out, and trim the stems to fit the vase's height, cutting at an angle. Fill the vase with about 2 inches of water and place the hydrangeas inside, taking care not to overcrowd the vase. To improve water absorption, you can make vertical cuts up the stem, but this is not necessary.

With the hydrangeas in their vase, your part of the drying process is concluded. Leave the rest to nature. The water in the vase will be sucked up by the hydrangeas, easing them into the drying phase. Any excess water will evaporate, leaving the hydrangeas to stiffen and dry over the course of about a week. Once thoroughly dried, the hydrangeas can be used to fill decorative vases or baskets throughout your home and even make great fall bouquets for your fireplace — an excellent way to make your fall mantel ridiculously cozy.