Hydrangeas are beautiful and lush flowers that are planted in many home gardens. To ensure that the magnificent flowers are an attractive eye-catcher for a long period of time, they can be dried. In this way, the striking view can also be enjoyed outside of summer. However, certain techniques are advisable to ensure that the color is not lost without irritation.
General information about hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are traditionally planted in a rustic garden, but in recent years these delightful flowers have become a real trendsetter and adorn many garden borders. The plants are a good addition to the existing plants in any garden. Hydrangeas also thrive in a pot on the balcony and terrace. The flowers shine in many colors and enchant with their bushy flower shape. However, before the hydrangeas are dried, the gardener should pay attention to a few important points when cutting off the flowers.
- The most common colors are cream, pink and white
- Some varieties also shine in blue and purple
- Are difficult to dry
- Flowers decay easily and quickly lose their color
Cut flowers correctly
If young and fresh flowers are used for drying, they will only turn brown and wither. That's why the green flowers are better suited for this. The flowers of the hydrangeas change their color over the course of the flowering period and also become harder and drier. In addition, the petals feel somewhat leathery, this process is called greening. The greening is very pronounced in farmer's hydrangeas, but panicle and forest hydrangeas also show this striking change. Depending on the variety, this color change not only turns green, but can also take on shades of reddish and purple. For this reason, the desired flowers should only be cut off after the peak of flowering, but still retain their magnificent color. The flower must be almost fully mature so that it can remain stable and colorful for a long time after drying.
- Wait patiently until the flowers are completely ripe, then cut them
- Exact timing depends heavily on the local climate
- Usually cut flowers between late July and early August
- The hydrangea variety also determines the time window for cutting
- Do not cut extremely fresh flowers for drying
- Splendid coloring should still be there though
- Cut off green flowers depending on the desired stem length
- For dry bouquets, leave a stem length of around 15 to 20 centimeters
- Do not damage flower heads and stems unnecessarily
- Only use sharp and disinfected secateurs for cutting
- Contamination leads to the penetration of germs and bacteria
Tip:
Don't cut the flowers of farmer's hydrangeas too low down, otherwise the shoots will be cut off for the next year and the subsequent flowering will be very poor or not occur at all. Panicle or forest hydrangeas only produce their flowers in spring on the newly grown wood, which is why longer stems can also be cut off from these varieties.
Decoration
The dried hydrangeas can be used beautifully as decoration in living rooms and inhabited outdoor areas. Since the flowers last for a long time when dried, they remind you of happy moments in summer during the long and dark winter months. In general, dried flowers can be preserved forever, but they accumulate dust and dirt over the years. Under these circumstances, the dried hydrangea flowers can only be used as decoration for a limited period of time, but additional specimens can be dried with each new flowering period.
- Process dried flowers into colorful bouquets or arrangements
- Serve as a decorative element in the living room, kitchen and hallway
- Optimal as an eye-catcher on furniture (chests of drawers, side tables or wall units)
- Ideal for the festive table and the table
- Looks great in colorful potpourri
- Arrange dried individual flowers in a bowl
- Panicles stand beautifully upright in vases
- Use as an element for crafts
Dry Process
With the right approach, the magnificent flowers of hydrangeas can be dried very easily and then either stored or used for a variety of purposes. When drying, the structure and color of the flowers should be preserved if possible. In an airy place, the flowers dry much faster and also retain their bright color. Unfortunately, the flowers become brittle over time, but with a hydrangea bush in the garden you can quickly make new ones at the end of summer. Hydrangeas that have already dried should not be left where they are permanently exposed to direct sunlight. This means that the flowers last a long time and retain their color.
- Stems should already be woody and brown in color
- Remove all leaves from the stems before drying
- Dry the flowers as quickly as possible
- Colors last longer without fading light
- Dark and warm places are ideal for the drying process
- This includes boiler rooms, storage rooms and attics
Hang dry
Hanging prevents the flowers from becoming flat due to gravity and hanging limply. In addition, this way the flowers do not crumple and retain their color permanently.
- Hang the flowers upside down on the stem
- Attach to a ribbon beforehand
- Wait a few days until the flowers are completely dry
- The degree of dryness can be recognized by the crackling noise
Cat Litter
The cat litter trick came from florists who wanted to speed up the drying process this way. Due to the dusty properties of cat litter, this process should take place in a largely closed container, for example a plastic container. The cat litter absorbs well and removes the moisture from the flowers, so they dry relatively quickly and without any annoying loss of color.
- Place cut hydrangea flowers in cat litter
- Cover with another layer
- It is essential to proceed with caution
- Don't use too much cat litter
- Be careful not to wrinkle or crush petals
- Alternatively, you can also use conventional washing powder
Paper & Cardboard
Paper and cardboard are also good for drying hydrangea flowers, as they remove moisture from the environment and create a dry environment for the drying process. This technique is particularly suitable for drying individual flowers without stems.
- Lay out flowers on newspaper in a warm, dark room
- It is also possible to place these on cardboard in a dark corner of the house
- Turn flowers daily and observe the process
- This way you can avoid flat spots on the flowers
Glycerin
The use of glycerin has proven to be an extremely effective method for drying hydrangeas without any unwelcome loss of color. A mixture of water and glycerin, which is absorbed by the hydrangeas through their stems, is ideal for this. In this way, the glycerin gets into the cells of the flowers. After a few days the water has evaporated, but the glycerin remains in the flowers. This process has the great advantage that the dried hydrangeas retain their beautiful color and the flowers feel very soft. In contrast to the conventional drying process, these do not become brittle and can therefore be used over a much longer period of time.
- You need a vase, hydrangeas, water and glycerin
- Glycerin is available in drugstores or pharmacies
- Mix two thirds of water with one third of glycerin well
- Pour the water-glycerin mixture into the vase
- Put hydrangeas in the mix
- After a few days the water evaporates
- Then don’t refill the water anymore
- Glycerin is retained in the flowers
Silica gel & dry s alt
Silica gel and dry s alt can be used to dry both whole flowers and individual petals if they are to be used as decoration for greeting cards, for example. The powders remove the moisture from the flowers over time, but the colors remain intact. A sealable container is required for this dry method. Most people are probably familiar with silica gel, which comes in small bags in new bags and items of clothing. In this context, it serves the same purpose as drying flowers. When dry, dry s alt has a completely different color, which changes with the degree of moisture. That's why it's easy to recognize when it can no longer absorb moisture and needs to be replaced.
- Powders can be purchased at craft stores
- Light-tight and lockable tin and cardboard containers are ideal
- Fill the vessel with a layer of silica gel or dry s alt
- Place the flowers on this layer
- Then cover completely with more powder
- Be careful not to damage flowers
- Then close the container
- Wait until the flowers are dry
- Dry process usually only takes a few days
- Silica gel and dry s alt can be used multiple times
- Dry in the oven or microwave after use
Preservation with hairspray
To make the flowers last longer when they are already completely dry, you can use hairspray. In this way, the hydrangeas are preserved so that they do not break and fall apart so quickly. To prevent odor nuisance in the air, it is better to spray outside, either on the balcony, terrace or in the garden. In this way, the hairspray evaporates very quickly in the area.
- Spray flowers liberally with hairspray
- Keep a distance of approx. 50 cm when spraying
- Ideally incorporate the hydrangea flowers into the arrangement or wreath beforehand
- As an alternative to hairspray, you can also use clear varnish
