How to Care for Hydrangea Bouquets

Hydrangea bouquets add color to any room.

Fresh hydrangea bouquets are popular not only because of their gorgeous colors ranging from bright purple to more subtle hues, but because they do not wilt and die as quickly as more delicate blossoms. It's not hard to maintain hydrangea bouquets, but you cannot just stick them in a vase and hope for the best. You need to pay attention and take steps to keep them perky. With a little care and effort you can keep hydrangea bouquets looking fresh as first-picked for as long as two weeks.

Things You'll Need

• Containers or vases
• Water, room temperature and hot
• Sharp scissors
• Alum
• Large tub
• Damp paper towels
• Refrigerator
• Floral preservative (optional)

Instructions

1. Take fresh cuttings from your garden by snipping blossoms off with very sharp scissors. Bring a container of water with you and put the clipped flowers directly into it.

2. Refresh hydrangeas every two to three days by cutting 1/4 inch to 1 inch from the bottom of the stem at a 45-degree angle. This keeps air bubbles and sap from blocking the stem's absorption of water.

3. Dip freshly cut stems into alum, which is available in the spice section of your supermarket, and place them in fresh water.

4. Revive 4- to 5-day-old hydrangeas by boiling water and setting it aside to cool. Snip the stems of your hydrangeas at a 45-degree angle and place them in the hot water for 30 seconds. Remove them from the hot water and put them immediately into a vase of room temperature water.

5. Snip the stems of week-old hydrangeas at a sharp angle and submerge the entire bouquet--flowers and stems--in a basin or bathtub full of water. Leave them in the water for two to three hours. Shake off the excess water, snip the stems again, and arrange them in a vase.

6. Keep wedding or prom bouquets fresh by wrapping them in damp paper towels and keeping them in the refrigerator overnight.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a little floral preservative to water every time you change it.

• Never let the water a hydrangea bouquet is in sit without changing it for more than two to three days.

References

• Mom's Network: 7 Tips For Creating Fresh Hydrangea Bouquets
• Hydrangeas! Hydrangeas!: How Can I Keep Hydrangeas From Wilting After They Are Cut?
• Martha Stewart: Rehydrate Hydrangeas

Resources

• Wedding Hydrangea: Fresh Cut Hydrangea Flowers