How to Dry Hydrangeas

Garden hydrangeas have been pretty special this year and they’re still going strong!

I was in the Lake District last week and despite it being October there were some colourful beauties still in full flower with no sign of the usual fade.

Let’s be honest though, it’s not going to be long before the winter chill does cause the flower heads to lose their lustre. Here’s my own method for drying hydrangeas so you can appreciate their mop-heads all year round.

• Cut stems to around 30cm and strip off all the leaves.

• Pop into a vase of water with around 10cm of water. Try to limit the number you dry in one vase so the air can easily circulate. If you only have one vase, then cut the hydrangeas to varying heights to aid circulation.

• Position your vase in a cool, dry place avoiding direct sunlight or any radiators.

• Over the next week or so let the water slowly evaporate. Once the water has disappeared the hydrangeas should be dried, if not add a splash more water to give the flowers more drying time.

Apologies for not having a close-up of my own hydrangeas but I was lucky to bring these gorgeous heads back from the Lake District, you can see them nestled in my hall right now.

I’m a bit addicted to bringing the best of this summer indoors and keeping that visual memory throughout the winter.

What’s your technique for drying your blooms?