Help! I have a huge hydrangea plant, that due to the heavy rains and I mean HEAVY…3/4 inch just today, my plant is basically on the ground. No matter what I do to try to hold it up, it continues to just lay on the ground. So, my problem is that I’ve had to cut at least 24 ‘young’ flowers to save the rest of the plant. Now what can I do with them? The last flower I cut off, that actually broke from the last huge rain storm, totally shriveled up even after putting in water.
I appreciate any and all suggestions!
waterlogged in Issaquah, Wa……..
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Grenville wrote:
This seems to be a common problem, I’ve heard it said that plunging the freshly cut stems for about half a minute in water that has just gone off the boil, and then putting them in cool water is supposed to work – but I have not tried it.
Mature flowers are very easy, they don’t really need any water, and mature flowers are very good for drying.
Posted on 21 Jul 12 (10 months ago)
bloomindahlia wrote:
Hi. I’ve heard of several ways to go about preserving these beautiful heads. 1. Put them in a vase where the stems can reach the bottom then put about 3 inches of water into the vase. Leave them in a cool area and allow the water to evaporate completely. Leave them alone as they dry naturally. 2. Clip them early in the morning at the coolest point. Tie them seperately to the bottom of a hanger and put them in a closet. Leave them to dry. 3. There are pellets you can use to dehydrate the heads. Putting one flower in at a time into a large can (I use coffee cans) slowly pour pellets in until flower, leaves, and stem (leave a bit so you can find it) are covered. This actually retains the color better than other ways too. I love the heads in their natural sepia color. I get this just by cutting them long, hanging them upside down on my front porch (no direct sun) using the above method and allowing them to dry. These are gorgeous in arrangements. Try taking a few pictures of them too and framing them in either black or white frames (baby blue matte is pretty) Good Luck!
Posted on 31 Jul 12 (10 months ago)
bloomindahlia wrote:
BTW….. these plants are tough! And although it breaks our hearts to see all their beauty laying in mud, after the rain they will pick themselves up again. You can rinse them by holding the heads between your fingers a very light misting from the hose and the a VERY gentle shake. I have even been known to put a fan on them set on low! There are long flower stakes that are metal and I use these on my peonies and tall phlox and love them!! I bought mine in the larger garden centers.
Posted on 31 Jul 12 (10 months ago)
ridgetop wrote:
thanks everyone for your ‘tips’. I’ve tried the ‘plunging’ the whole flower in cold water; hot water for the stems, etc. So far, since I’ve been changing the water & cutting the stems about every 3 days, I’ve been able to keep the blooms looking pretty good. Have lost only 3 so far. I probably won’t be able to ‘dry’ these, but 3 large vases fulls of blooms around the house are pretty great!
Posted on 02 Aug 12 (10 months ago)
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