Drying Hydrangeas in Autumn

“Autumn, the year’s last, loveliest smile.” ~William Cullen Bryant

Drying Hydrangeas in Autumn, Sept. 16, 2022.

Hydrangeas in Autumn are a magical and essential part of the landscape. Just like the leaves annually transform their greenness into countless harvest hues, so do the hydrangeas experience their own autumnal transformation. Clusters of blue, rose, and cream flowers explode into a glorious finale of blush, burgundy, navy, and sage bouquets. Antique comes to mind when looking at them. They are decidedly going out in style while allowing the patina of age to give depth to their beauty. There is no sagging and drooping in this. They carry a stylish dignity and hold themselves well through the whole change. It is a natural inspiration to a near 50-year-old woman facing the realities of getting older daily and how to age well.

The hydrangeas are now ready to clip for drying. I have been waiting for this moment. Week by week I check the Annabelle hydrangeas of SomeTyme Place. They are steady and reliant in their crop of cone clusters that migrate from cream to pink tinged to a final cluster of burgundy and sage which make beautiful, dried fall flowers. Yesterday I took my garden scissors and cut dozens of them. They created a large mound in the back seat of my car as I came home to Hidden Bluff dry them.

This year was a bountiful harvest of blooms including the new dark blue ones. Eyeballing the huge pile of hydrangeas on the counter I wondered what containers would be big enough to dry them in, and then I remembered the 5-gallon buckets in the garage that had not yet disposed of. They now sit in the entryway holding several dozen clusters of hydrangeas as if we are getting ready for an autumn party.

The dark blue hydrangeas are a newer addition that finally grew enough to yield a large number of clusters for drying. I want to preserve their blue color, so I tried to pick them early in their transition stage. Hydrangeas are on their own time and don’t like to be picked too early for drying. The petals must begin the feel papery, and the color must be starting to change. To preserve their beauty hydrangeas must be allowed to age a bit. Some I harvest early in the process; others I wait for their final and most grand display of color.

Drying Hydrangeas in Autumn

• Hydrangeas are typically ready to be clipped in late summer/early fall. They will be multicolored and papery to the touch when ready. If you clip too early one of two things will happen: they won’t dry at all, or they will dry poorly with shriveled petals.
• Clip hydrangea making sure to leave a nice long stem.
• Strip all the leaves off the stems and bloom.
• Place the hydrangeas in a bucket of water and set aside.
• The petals will begin to dry.
• Depending on the cluster some will dry quickly overnight and others may take a few days until fully dry. Check them daily to see progress.
• Remove from water when the flower cluster is completely dry all over.
• Trim stem as desired. Stems will likely still be green. This is okay.
• Hydrangeas will last about a year or two depending on how well-cared for they are.
• To give them a bit more staying power you can spray them with clear gloss spray paint.

Use them in arrangements and decor!

Have a beautiful day!