Drying hydrangea - how to make beautiful dried flowers

Drying hydrangeas - capturing their color brilliance permanently

Wait for it to “turn green” first

Young hydrangea flowers do not dry out as desired, but wither and turn brown. Wait until the flowers turn green before drying. This means the following process:

Flowers change color during flowering
not always too green, Lilia and shades of red are also possible
Petals become drier and harder
feel leathery

Cutting: time and procedure

When the flowers of your hydrangea are ready to be cut to dry depends on the variety and the local climate.

usually from the end of July
cut only ripe flowers
the color should still be intense
stems approx. 20 cm long are ideal for bouquets
cut with sharp scissors
Do not damage the flowers

Tips

Panicle hydrangeas and ball hydrangeas develop their flower bases on new wood in the following year, so their flowers can easily be cut with very long stems.

Different drying methods at a glance

Hydrangea flowers can be dried in different ways. The first of the options listed below are simple to use, but the color will fade.

Dry hydrangeas in a vase
keep the shape when hanging
Preserve with glycerine
Remove moisture with silica gel or washing powder

Dry hydrangeas in a vase

Hydrangea flowers with their stems can be dried in a vase without much effort.

Cut the hydrangea stems diagonally
Fill the vase with water only a few inches high
Put in the hydrangeas
Place the vase in a dark and airy place
the water gradually evaporates
the flowers begin to dry out
after about a week they are completely dry

When the flowers take on a wrinkled appearance and fill like tissue paper, the drying process is complete.

Hang up hydrangea flowers to dry

Hydrangea flowers that are dried upside down cannot kink, which can certainly happen in a vase with the large and heavy flowers.

Cut flowers that have already dried on
remove green leaves
Leave the stem on or just dry the flowers
hang in a dark, airy and dry place
Windowless attics or boiler rooms are ideal
stretch a string
Fasten the flowers or stems with clothespins

Depending on the room temperature, the drying time can vary. Test to see if the flowers are really dry before removing them. Dry petals crackle to the touch.

Preserve flowers with glycerine

Glycerin preserves hydrangea flowers without losing color and also maintains the softness of their petals.

can be bought in pharmacies and drug stores
Dissolve in double the amount of water
Cut the stalk diagonally and place in the solution

The hydrangea flowers absorb the glycerine solution down to the last cell. Over time, the water evaporates, leaving the pure glycerine behind. The conservation is now complete.

Remove moisture with silica gel or washing powder

So-called hydroscopic material removes moisture from its surroundings and is therefore ideally suited for drying flowers. In addition to silica gel and detergent powder, the following materials are also included:

fine cat litter
salt
Dry salt

All of these materials allow the drying process to proceed quickly and largely without loss of color. The individual steps are as follows:

Take a large and screwable glass. The flower should find enough space in it without the petals kinking.
Cover the floor with the chosen drying material. Powdered detergent is available in almost every household and it is cheap too.
Place the hydrangea flower on top, upside down.
Fill the jar with the desiccant so that the entire flower is covered with it.
Leave the jar tightly closed for about five days.
Then remove the desiccant and pull out the dry flower.

Tips

Silica gel, often also spelled silica gel, is more expensive than washing powder, but it can be used over and over again. Those who often dry flowers can stock up on them in a craft store.

Shelf life of dried hydrangeas

In principle, dried hydrangea blossoms last forever. Most of the time, however, they are placed openly as decoration, where they inevitably collect a lot of dust over time. Although this can be removed regularly by gently shaking it, unsightly traces remain on the flowers in the long run.

The color intensity also decreases after about two years. This means that the hydrangea flowers can be used for a limited time in their function as beautiful decorative elements. Fortunately, the garden supplies new flowers every year, which can seamlessly replace the unsightly dried specimens after drying.

Tips

If you place dry hydrangea flowers far from the sun, their color will stay fresh longer.

A little hairspray will extend the shine time

After drying, hydrangea flowers can be sprayed with hairspray or hair varnish. This protects the flowers from being brittle and also gives them a nice shine. The unpleasant smell of the hairspray dissipates quickly.