Design Tips: Hydrangea Preservation

Preserve your hydrangeas and enjoy them year round!

If you grow hydrangeas and want to preserve their beauty to enjoy them long after they bloom, you’ll be pleased to learn how easy it is. The secret to success is knowing how and when to cut the blooms.

With just a few simple steps requiring minimal effort, you can dry your hydrangeas in just about two weeks’ time and enjoy them for months (even years) to come! We'll walk you through it next.

Step One

The biggest challenge is knowing the right time to cut your hydrangeas. If you snip the blossoms in peak bloom, they’ll have too much moisture and won’t dry well or retain their beauty. If you cut them too late, they’ll likely turn brown.

The key is to wait until your hydrangeas have shifted in color and the petals have started to dry out. The end of their growing season typically takes place sometime in August through October. You’ll notice the larger petals starting to change color and develop a papery feel. Some variations may be more noticeable than others, specifically Annabelle’s whose color will change from bright white to pale green.

Step Two

When you have determined that the blossoms are ready to cut, leave a good amount of stem on the bottom, roughly 12-18”. Make sure you have a good pair of sharp gardening shears and cut them at an angle. Remove all the leaves from the stem and prepare your vessel.

You can choose to add water to the vessel or simply go without. Adding water may allow the hydrangea to desiccate more slowly to better hold their color and shape. However, if you’ve selected a large basket or vessel that can’t hold water, no need to worry as water is not required, only optional!

Step Three

Place the stems into your vessel and enjoy! Be mindful not to crowd the blooms to close together as they dry best when given room to breathe. If you use water, allow it to evaporate completely from the vase, which may take a few weeks. After some time, the hydrangeas should feel dry to the touch. Handle them with care as they have become more fragile and the stems may break off more easily.

Fun tip - think outside the box and incorporate your dried blooms into seasonal wreaths. Or, tuck a few pieces into your holiday garland or Christmas tree for a unique holiday touch.

Place in your home and enjoy!

We hope you’ve enjoyed these tips and found them to be helpful! If you try this at home, we’d love to see! Tag us on Instagram @mackenziestudio or send us an email at hello@mackenzieco.co. We’d love to feature you on our social media sites, with your approval of course!