Bouquets make us so happy, especially when made with gorgeous, pillowy hydrangea flowers. We hate to see them wilt, but the good news is you can easily bring back your cut hydrangeas.
How to Revive Hydrangeas
These two tricks will help you coax three to five more days from your wilting hydrangeas.
Trick No. 1: Give Them a Soak
We spoke to Bailey Hale, co-owner and head of floral operations at Ardelia Farm & Co. in Irasburg, Vermont. His advice to bring back wilting hydrangea blooms? Soak them—flowers and all. “Soak the blooms in warmish water for 30 to 40 minutes,” he advises.
Why? According to Hale, hydrangeas take in water through the flower petals as well as through the stems. Submerging your cut hydrangea gives the flowers a chance to take in lots of water and revive.
Trick No. 2: Cut the Stems
Another tip from Hale is to trim the stems. Many people know that a fresh cut on flower stems will help bouquets last, but Hale says there’s more to it than that: “The longer the stem, the harder it is for water to reach the flowers.”
Trim the stems to a shorter length, and then make a criss-cross slice up into the stems—another way to help the stem to take up water. He does not recommend crushing the stems, a step sometimes given for flowers with woodier stems, like lilacs. “The vascular tissues that take in water will be damaged if the stems are crushed,” he says.
Don’t forget to check out our pro tips for arranging flowers!
Tips for Your Next Bouquet
Hale’s last tip is for your next bouquet made from the hydrangeas in your yard. “Don’t cut hydrangea flowers too young,” he says. That’s when flowers still have a lot of moisture in the petals. Wait until the flowers have a papery or even “leathery” feel, and your hydrangea blooms will last much longer in your bouquet.
Next up: This is how to prune hydrangeas for the perfect summer blooms.
The post How to Easily Revive the Wilting Hydrangeas in Your Kitchen Bouquet appeared first on Taste of Home.
Nancy Mock