Author: Gail Labrosse, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission
Drying hydrangea flowers from your garden for a winter table arrangement is easy. The best time for picking the flowers is toward the end of the growing season, when they naturally start to dry out. Take a tall container of cool water with you when you plan to pick your bouquet.
- Cut each flower, leaving the stem about 30 – 45 cm long. Strip all the leaves off. Place flower stems in cool water, but no water should touch the blossoms. For easier handling, wrap an elastic band around the bouquet halfway up the stems.
- Boil a pot of water. Place the cut ends of the bouquet into the boiling water for 30 seconds to seal the stems. If using shorter-stemmed flowers, wrap the blossoms in paper towels for protection from the steam.
- Put the hydrangeas in a tall vase with no water. Drape the flower heads with paper towels.
- Mist the towels thoroughly with water and re-mist as the towels dry out for the first hour. Let the flower heads condition for 4 to 5 hours. Remove paper towels and arrange them in your favourite vase without water. If you need to change the stem length, re-cut it to the desired length and repeat step 2.
Annabelle and panicle hydrangeas are long-lived flowers. Dried or fresh cut, they make great flowers to decorate your home or your table. Remember to avoid placing them in direct sunlight to preserve their delicate colours
Comments
More From Gardening Calendar
Bottle Gentian is a Garden Darling!
Discover the beautiful Bottle Gentian flower, with its dark blue closed petals that never open. Found in North America, this perennial will bloom in late summer and thrive with minimal care. Pollinated exclusively by bumblebees, it can handle cold weather and become a unique addition to any garden!
Chokeberry is a Desirable Shrub
Chokeberry produces fantastic fruit, and it is easy to grow. It is an ornamental beauty with beautiful colours throughout the seasons.
Five Easy Ways To Get Rid of Fungus in Mulch
Learn how to effectively treat and eliminate fungus in mulch with tips and techniques for a healthy garden ecosystem.
Ikebana Workshop – Notes from the Old Ottawa South Garden Club
from Old Ottawa South Garden Club Join the Old Ottawa South Garden Club for a workshop on Ikebana—a traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement by Elizabeth Armstrong, Second Associate Master in the Ohara School. Learn about its history and create your own arrangement with help from Elizabeth and Patty McGaughlin. Next meeting on April 9th to learn about easy-care, hardy perennials and lazier gardener methods.
Gardening for Birds: Planting for Sparrows
Discover how to attract different species of sparrows to your garden with native grasses and create a safe and abundant habitat for these delightful backyard visitors.
Tomato Care Growing Questions and Answers
Answer: Tomatoes grow good vines because they require plenty of sunlight and warm temperatures. To get the most out of your tomato plants it is important to provide them with at least 8 hours of direct sunlight and an average temperature of 75- 80 degrees. Additionally, they need plenty of soil nutrients and regular pruning to keep them healthy and to generate more tomatoes. Learn how to maintain your tomato plants for maximum fruit-bearing potential!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.