Care and Growing Tips

Endless Summer Collection of plants are chosen not only for their stunning looks and repeat blooming ability, but also for their great performance in a wide range of applications, settings and zones. Like any plant, however, it’s important to exercise proper care to ensure you get the most from your plant all summer long, year after year.

Other Uses

Use as Cut Flower

It’s easy to cut flowers for use in a vase or container

• Early morning or late in the afternoon are good times to cut your blooms.
• Before placing in the vase or container make a fresh cut 1-2 inches up the stem. Cutting the stems on a slant will keep them fresher longer.
• Immediately after cutting each bloom, drop the stem in the water. Keep flowers out of the sun.
• Remove leaves on the stem that will be below the water surface.

Make them last longer tips:

• Display in an area out of the direct sunlight and drafts.
• Change the water in the vase frequently - every other day.
• Make a fresh cut on the stems each time you change the water.
• Believe it or not fruit gives of a gas that will shorten your cut stems life so keep away from fruit.

Drying Hydrangeas

The single most important thing about drying hydrangeas is not which method you use; it's when you harvest them! Fresh, newly opened blooms seldom, if ever, dry well in the open air. It is best to wait until the blooms begin to dry on the shrub.

• Petals will have faded a bit and feel papery to the touch.
• At this point, you can cut them, strip off the leaves.
• Air-dry cuttings in a baskets or vase with or without water or hang upside down out of sunlight.
• Silica Gel, which is available at most craft stores, is another wonderful way to dry your hydrangea blooms. Simply bury the blooms in the gel (it’s actually a sand-like texture) and wait a few days for them to dry. There are complete directions on the box.
• Believe it or not, many floral arrangers are now using cat litter in the same way you use Silica Gel. This is a much less expensive way to experiment with drying hydrangeas. Use the finest textured, non-clumping cat litter available.

Dyeing Hydrangeas

For the more adventurous among you, try dyeing your dried hydrangeas for a special effect. If you have a particular color scheme in your home or you need a specific color bloom for an event, such as a wedding, this might be fun for you to try.

• Works especially well with white blooms.
• Similar to dyeing fabric, get your dye up to a boil and dip your flowers one by one (for a variety of shades, hold the bloom in the dye for a longer or shorter amount of time. The cooler the temperature of the dye the softer the tint will be).
• Then hang to dry. Use lots of newspaper - they'll drip!