Hi there!
Are you staying cool from the summer heat? It’s hotter than blue blazes (as my mother-in-law would say) here in Louisiana.
As for hydrangeas…well with the heat, they struggle this time of year. I have to water them twice a day. They started blooming in early June, and are pretty close to the end of the blooming season.
I planted several varieties of hydrangeas about three years ago. I have white hydrangeas, pink, annabelle, and vanilla strawberry. I also planted two hydrangea trees that take full sun.
I’ve learned that they like a lot of water, and morning sun only. The ones that get sun after 11 a.m. begin to wilt.
You can see below, that some of the white hydrangeas never turn white…they actually stay green.
Also, it’s been my experience that the vanilla strawberry don’t turn pink. I’m not sure if it’s because it gets so hot here, but they stay white for me.
One of my favorites is the annabelle hydrangea…it has huge white blooms that are so sturdy and healthy.
Have you ever cut hydrangeas to bring inside, and placed in water, to find that they just began to sag and wilt overnight? That’s exactly what happened to me the first time.
Then I heard about the ALUM trick! I always wondered how people had hydrangeas that stayed so fresh and full for so long. Then I found out the secret to keeping them fresh is the spice ALUM. You can purchase the spice ALUM in the grocery store spice section. And follow these easy steps for clipping hydrangeas:
Clip the hydrangea at a diagonal.
Dip the cut end in water, and then in ALUM.
The ALUM coats the exposed end and allows the hydrangea to stay full and fresh longer.
My flower gardens just wouldn’t be the same without hydrangeas! I adore the pretty round blooms, and the varieties…making them one of my all time favorite flowers!
So…what’s your hydrangea growing tips? Do you know of anything I forgot or left out here? Please leave me a comment and let me know
Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS to JULIE MAIER for winning the $75 voucher to JORD watches!
Blessings,
Beautiful hydrangea vignettes, and now I now the secret to longevity in keeping them freshly bloomed. I have a friend who says if you want to dry them out keep them in fresh water every day or so until they have dried....the colour and bloom is beautiful. Now I must try both ideas.
ReplyDeleteLove the beauty here. Always leave wanting to add more farmhouse to me decor.
I have just displayed and old crock on my living room side table, k
Just that count for some prairie? 😉⚜xx
Dore
"Use a soil test kit to figure out your soil pH levels. To get blue flowers, you'll want your soil to be acidic with pH levels of 5.5 or lower. For pink flowers, you'll want more alkaline soil with pH levels of 6.5 or higher."
ReplyDeleteAlum is not a spice. It is a chemical compound.
You can also soak them in the sink! I learned that from Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick! Whenever they start to look wilty, I just give them a "bath" in the sink and let them soak in there for several hours. They will perk right back up! You can do it a few different times with each flower every time they start to wilt!
ReplyDeleteLove your hydrangeas and absolutely adore your pics.
ReplyDeleteIt's been so hot and humid here, just unbearable, and more garden is suffering because of it - I, too, wilt in the heat! I love winter! Seriously, ask me in mid winter with 8 feet of snow and housebound or having to drive on sheets of ice, and I am still happy. I hate it hot.
LOVE your post, thank you for the beauty you always share with us. Hugs.
Here's a link that better explains two methods for reviving stems. Of course, if you want them forever, drying them is the best. I hang my blooms upside down in the garage on a clothesline for a week or so to dry them. Annabelle's dry on the plant perfectly, but you have to be patient and wait until late summer/early fall to cut them. http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/cut_dont_wilt.html
ReplyDeleteYour hydrangeas are so gorgeous ♥
ReplyDeletesummerdaisy.net