Hydrangea flowers are a real eye-catcher, and not just on the bush. Even when dried, they add a touch of romance to wreaths and autumn decorations. As long as the attractive color is retained and the flower does not turn brown. This is how you can dry hydrangeas without any loss of color!
Drying hydrangeas: The color remains intact even without glycerin
Dried hydrangeas are a real eye-catcher. There are many methods, but only two promise good results if you want to preserve flower color. You can dry the flowers with silica gel and preserve them permanently or you can dry them directly in the vase. Which variant you choose depends primarily on where you got the flowers from. Cut the flowers from the bush in the garden to make a vase. Purchased flowers dry faster and better with silica gel. We describe the two variants.
Drying flowers in a vase: instructions
If you want to dry flowers in a vase, the right time to cut them is crucial. At the end of the flowering period, the flowers begin to dry out directly on the plant. At this point they are not yet discolored. Then you should cut them off. It's best to take sharp pruning shears early in the morning and cut them at an angle, including the handle.
Shorten the stem to around 40 cm and remove all leaves. Fill a vase with enough water to barely cover the bottom and arrange the flowers so that air can circulate freely between the flowers. Place the vase in a sunny but bright place. Then you have to wait until the water evaporates. If the flowers are still not completely dry, fill the vase with water and wait again. After about two weeks the flowers should feel like paper - then they are dry.
Dry hydrangeas with silica gel
Silica gel, popularly known as silica gel, can be found in packets in numerous drugstores and craft stores. The gel attracts moisture and keeps the goods dry. You can use the contents of the packages that you find in shoes, bags and other goods for the next tutorial. Proceed as follows:
- Open the packets and pour the contents into a plastic container. For example, clean and dry yoghurt cups are suitable.
- Shorten the stem of the cut flowers to 7 cm and place the flowers in the container. Cover completely with silica gel and allow to dry for about 3 days.
- Let the hydrangea flowers dry in the gel in a sunny place. After about 48 to 72 hours the gel will turn green. If its color is particularly intense, then the flowers are dry.
- The color is guaranteed to be retained. This variant is therefore ideal for cut flowers that have already spent some time in the vase.
You can then use the dried hydrangeasWreaths or fall decorationsuse. Additionally, you can treat them with hairspray to preserve the color. Otherwise, if the flowers are hung in a sunny place, they may fade after a while.
