YARMOUTH, Maine — You see beautiful hydrangeas everywhere right now. They are in full bloom and make for wonderful bouquets. But there are a few things to keep in mind when you cut them.
Try to clip them early in the morning, when it’s cool. Strip all the leaves off the stem, as putting them in water will make the water turn bad. Then put it directly into the water. All of the places where you took the stem off will uptake water for the flower, and keep it hydrated. You can also clip the stem vertically at the bottom… about an inch… that will increase uptake. Keep the arrangement out of direct sunlight. Some people swear by putting aspirin or some sugar in the water but Tom Estabrook of Estabrook’s says it is not necessary. It is a good idea whoever to recut the bottom of the stem every few days or so.
If you want to dry Hydrangeas, follow the same first step. Then hand the leafless flower upside down in the coolest, darkest spot in your house. It should dry out nicely, however, you will lose some of the colors. You might improve the color of the final product by cutting more immature stems that have not yet turned because they will as it dries.