I love using hydrangeas in my flower arrangements. It’s safe to say I use them in almost every arrangement I make. They look beautiful and are abundant, which is ideal when making long arrangements.
However, hydrangeas have a bad rep (and rightfully so). Hydrangeas can be very temperamental. Most people are hesitant to buy them because they’ve had a bad experience with them dying within a few hours of taking them home. While this can be true, and it can even happen to the most experienced florists, there are a couple of tips and tricks to make your hydrangeas last longer.
1. Remove packaging and leaves right away, and snip on a deep angle. Why on an angle? This gives the flowers easy access to drink water. When they are cut straight, they literally sit flush against the bottom of the vase, obstructing the way for water to enter the flower through its stem.
2. Dip the bottom half-inch of the cut stem end into “alum,” a fine white powder otherwise known as potassium aluminum sulfate, before placing into a water-filled vase. Alum powder is a type of preservative that is used to keep fruits and vegetables firm and crispy. It is also an ingredient in baking powder. Dipping the bottom of the stem into alum powder helps the hydrangeas stay fresh. It can be purchased on Amazon.
3. Now let’s say your hydrangea actually dies even though you’ve followed most of these steps- most of the time you can actually revive it. First, re-cut your stem at a deep angle. Fill your sink or a deep bowl with water. Dunk the head of the hydrangea right under the water for five to ten minutes. When you remove it from the water, gently pat it dry with a paper towel and place in a vase filled with fresh water.
4. Another method is to use boiling water. Stand the stem of the wilted hydrangea in a cup of the boiling water for 30 seconds. Immediately place into room temperature water (this usually means back into the arrangement). Within a couple of hours they will completely revive, as long as the blooms are not too old.
Next time you see a beautiful bunch of hydrangeas and want to get them, don’t hesitate!
