Do you love hydrangeas? This post is for you! You will find lots of ideas on How to Plant, Preserve, and Care for Hydrangeas!
Hydrangeas are the quintessential flower of summer! Hydrangeas will typically grow in any climate if cared for properly. Some zones will have longer periods of time to enjoy the beautiful blooms that hydrangeas are known for producing, but most areas can enjoy the gorgeous foliage and flowers for at least a month or two during the summer. When your hydrangea plant blooms is largely determinant on your zone, and also how much sun and water your plant receives. Hydrangeas are typically quite easy to care for and produce enormous blooms, but as we all know, plants can sometimes be tricky and have minds of their own! I have rounded up some tips for you for planting, preserving, and caring for your hydrangeas. Also at the bottom you’ll find some tips on how to arrange them beautifully into a dried wreath. Thanks for stopping by the blog today! 🙂
TIP ONE: FIND OUT WHAT TYPE OF HYDRANGEA YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU PRUNE YOUR PLANT.
Spring finally arrives, and chances are likely that your hydrangeas might look like Kelly’s pictured here below. Do not despair! Kelly discusses how to take care of those ugly sticks, and if you should remove them or not. There are several different types of hydrangeas, and Kelly discusses what to do with each variety. Is your hydrangea an everbloom, old wood, or new wood? Go find out! It matters a great deal on how to properly care for your plant.
TIP TWO: FERTILIZE HYDRANGEAS TO HELP ENSURE BLOOMS
Hydrangeas do well with fertilizer! Kris from Driven by Decor gives us great tips on what kind of fertilizer she uses, and also the schedule she maintains to help ensure her hydrangeas reach their full blooming potential. You can find the sourcing to lots of great tools that Kris uses in her post as well.
TIP THREE: HOW TO CHANGE THE COLOR OF YOUR HYDRANGEAS
Hydrangeas will frequently change color after the first year of bloom. Yep, so that deep purple or blue hydrangea you purchased just might come back the second season in bright pink! You can absolutely change the color of your hydrangeas from pink/blue or blue/pink with a little help. (If your hydrangeas are a white variety, you cannot change the color to a bright blue or pink.) Diane from In My Own Style shows us how to change the color of your hydrangeas the easy way! It is fun to experiment and see what color comes back every year. Give it a try!
TIP FOUR: CHOOSE YOUR HYDRANGEA PLANT
Picking a favorite hydrangea plant is next to impossible for hydrangea lovers! Once you have one hydrangea plant in your yard, you will inevitably begin to accumulate them! Kim from Sand & Sisal took a trip to a botanical gardens and wrote down her favorite varieties. This is a great way to see the plant in full bloom before you decide to purchase one for yourself. Kim shows us a lot of examples of gorgeous hydrangeas commonly found in the mid-Atlantic region. The two most common hydrangea varieties you will find for sale in your local nursery are the mophead and the lacecap varieties.
The mophead variety is the old fashioned kind that produces huge blooms and are always a show stopper in any garden.
The lacecap variety is a more intricate flower with a lace-like appearance in the middle with gorgeous blooms extending outwards.
TIP FIVE: CHOOSE WHERE TO PLANT YOUR HYDRANGEAS –
CONTAINER GARDENING
We all know that hydrangeas can perform beautifully in the ground, but did you know that they can also grow in a pot? Certain varieties of hydrangeas can not only survive, but they can THRIVE in a pot! This is great news for anyone who loves hydrangeas, but might only have a tiny space in which to plant, or if your yard receives entirely too much sun for a hydrangea to grow. Hydrangeas love morning sun and afternoon shade. If your dreams include growing gorgeous hydrangeas to cut and display in your home all summer, but your yard might not fit the best growing conditions, this method would work great for you! I have a post dedicated to growing hydrangeas in a pot: Tips for Endless Summer Hydrangeas Container Gardening
The Endless Summer Hydrangea is perfect for container gardening. You can read all about how my hydrangeas thrived, and how to help your own hydrangeas based off your particular planting zone here: Tips for Endless Summer Hydrangeas Container Gardening – Endless Summer will actually text you with planting tips if you sign up! So neat!
Pam from House of Hawthornes has also had great success with Growing Hydrangeas in a Pot. She recommends a smaller hydrangea variety, and you can find all of that information in her post alongside other great tips for container growing. Pam has a wealth of gardening information on her site!
HEDGE GARDENING WITH HYDRANGEAS
Bre from Rooms for Rent planted Limelight Hydrangeas to create a beautiful hedge for backyard privacy. What an absolutely gorgeous way to accomplish privacy for both her family, and also for her neighbor! Go read all about how she accomplished this, where to purchase this variety, and how she cares for her hydrangeas.
TIP SIX: HOW TO REVIVE WILTED HYDRANGEAS
You’ve either grown those gorgeous hydrangeas or purchased some from the store, and now you’re ready to arrange them in your home. After a few days (or even ONE day!), you might find that the blooms are facing downward and are just sad. Don’t despair just yet! I have found amazing tips for you to help maintain your cut hydrangeas, and each of these tips are different, so be sure to check them all out!
HOW TO REVIVE WILTED HYDRANGEAS BY HOME STORIES A TO Z
This tip is extremely simple, and only involves water, your sink, and a little bit of time.
HOW TO REVIVE A WILTED HYDRANGEA BY DRIVEN BY DECOR
Kim from Driven by Decor has a different method, and obviously is very proven! Her arrangement is stunning!
HOW TO REVIVE A WILTED HYDRANGEA BY FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE
Courtney from French Country Cottage has found a trick with a spice that speeds up the recovery process. Go check it out!
TIP SEVEN: HOW TO DRY YOUR HYDRANGEAS FOR WREATHS
You can read how to dry your hydrangeas for wreaths, crafts, and decor. Dried hydrangeas can last for years!
TIP EIGHT: HOW TO MAKE A DRIED HYDRANGEA WREATH
Learn how to make gorgeous wreaths with your dried hydrangeas! I have made several different kinds of dried hydrangea wreaths over the years, and you can read all about the simple process here: How to Make a Dried Hydrangea Wreath
GORGEOUS LIMELIGHT HYDRANGEA WREATH BY ON SUTTON PLACE
Ann from On Sutton Place also has a beautiful dried hydrangea wreath made from her limelight hydrangeas, and you can read all about the drying process she used in her full tutorial here.
