The Secret to Drying Hydrangeas

Have you ever tried drying Hydrangeas from your garden only to have them turn brown or just simply begin to decompose? Would you like to know the simple secret to drying Hydrangeas the garden? Well, you've come to the right place. After several years I finally figured out what that secret is. The secret I found to successfully drying Hydrangeas that retain color and shape is quite simple, it's about WHEN to cut Hydrangeas for drying. However, most information on the Internet doesn't seem to provide much if any detailed explanation of this very important step to drying Hydrangeas. So, today I'm going to change that by chatting about dried Hydrangeas, how I found "the secret" and then share that secret with you so you too can successfully dry beautiful garden Hydrangeas from the garden.

You may also want to check out "7 Easy Steps To Drying Hydrangeas."

Some Background Before Learning the Secret to Drying Hydrangeas

I live in the Chicago suburbs. Our winters are often quite brutal, we are in zone 5a on the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. Side note: last winter's Polar Vortex brought us all the way down to zone 3b, but I digress! Due to our harsh winters bigleaf Hydrangeas usually die back almost to the ground every year and therefore seldom offer prolific blooms. I provide this little bit insight to help others understand why wasting the highly coveted bigleaf Hydrangea blossoms on faulty drying methods can be so disappointing and to explain why it took me years to figure out the secret. It wasn't that I was simply daft, it's because I just didn't have very many bigleaf Hydrangea Blossoms to work with. (LOL)

Looking for more information? Here is a post with step by step instructions on how to dry Hydrangeas "7 Easy Steps to Drying Hydrangeas."

What is a bigleaf Hydrangea?

Some of you may be asking yourselves what on earth is a "bigleaf" Hydrangea. It's a type of Hydrangea, there are many types. Bigleaf Hydrangeas are in my opinion, the most stunning. They are also the best type to use when drying Hydrangea. If you'd like to learn more about the different types of Hydrangea, scroll down to view a helpful graphic provided to us by FTD.com. Their flowers are popular in new home decor. People often use them in wreaths or simple floral arrangements. Their blossoms are full and come in a range of colors, anywhere from white to blue, pink and purple. It so happens, that my most favored flowers in my garden are my bigleaf Hydrangea that have blue and pink flowers.

Drying Hydrangeas; A Secret Explored

Most years my bigleaf Hydrangea blossoms dried beautifully. However, some years not so much. The blossoms would turn brown or worse. When I turned to the Internet to try and figure out what I did wrong when drying Hydrangeas; all I was able to find were basics. Since the basics of dried Hydrangeas were what I used before, I knew what I needed were details. I finally figured out what was missing. It wasn't the length of stem, how much water in the vase, location or temperature of the room when drying. No, it seemed to be the details on when was the best time to cut the Hydrangea blossom. The information I found varied considerably. That led me to experiment. I learned first hand what was the best time to cut the blossoms when drying Hydrangeas.

Drying Hydrangeas; The Secret Explained

Through trial and error I was able to learn the details; determining what was the best time to cut Hydrangea blossoms. If you love your Hydrangeas as I love mine; you'll be happy to learn the best time to cut your Hydrangea blossoms is after their peak bloom. In fact the best time to cut the blossoms when drying Hydrangeas is only as they just begin to decay and change color. So, go ahead and enjoy those gorgeous blooms!

The Secret; It's in the Details

Let's now dive into the details of drying Hydrangeas. First of all, Hydrangeas typically begin blooming in or around mid August. Next, Hydrangeas blooms typically last a couple of weeks. It's this time that your time, patience, and diligence will be needed. Since the best time for cutting Hydrangea blooms for drying is just as they begin to decay and lose some of their color, checking your Hydrangea blooms daily is important.

Here's how to determine the best time to cut the blossoms when drying Hydrangeas:

• They have begun to change their color
• They look like they are just beginning to expire or decay
• Petals are a little thinner and drier than those on blossoms that are at their peak and are looking most vibrant
• All the little delicate petals have opened and are fully extended

Important Notes: When drying Hydrangeas using blossoms that have started to show brown spots or have lost considerable color often end up either turning a nasty brown or simply losing most of their color and their petals. Conversely, using Hydrangea blossoms that aren't fully opened or have just opened and are at their peak bloom will often wilt and may begin to decompose if left unattended for any length of time. 

There You Have It; the secret!

There you have it, the secret I found to successfully drying Hydrangeas that retain shape and color. Like I said it's simple, but knowing these details or "secret" on when to cut your Hydrangeas for drying will help ensure your beautiful blooms and time aren't wasted. 

Looking for instructions on how to dry Hydrangeas? Check out the post "7 Easy Steps to Drying Hydrangeas."

Have you made plans with what you're going to do with your dried Hydrangeas? Do you have any garden secrets or maybe pictures of the Hydrangeas in your garden that you's like to share? If you liked this post, please Subscribe to my blog.