Thinking about including hydrangeas within your wedding decor? We spoke to Hydrangea World to find out what makes them such a unique flower
Stylish cut hydrangeas have always been considered one of the staple flowers within a beautiful wedding bouquet, but they’re also versatile enough to use in a variety of other arrangements or settings, too. These flowers also wonderful gifts and stunning table decorations as part of a floral centrepiece.
Hydrangea cut flowers come in a huge range of colours, including every shade of red, pink, purple, white, green and blue. And what’s unique about them is that their colours evolve during bloom (cutting the stems stops the colour-changing process); once they have completed their colour change, they become a bright autumnal red.
Which kind of hydrangeas change colour?
Cut hydrangeas vary from fresh to classic. Fresh refers to colours such as white, green, pink, blue and purple.
Classic hydrangeas are essentially the same as fresh hydrangeas, however the classic variety lasts longer in the nursery, causing them to gradually change colour.
They also have a very long vase life – a fully-grown classic hydrangea can easily last for up to three weeks.
You can also put classic hydrangeas in floral foam, though sufficient watering is important before you do so. Simply cut off a piece of the stem with a clean, sharp knife or trimmer for better water absorption.
After they’ve bloomed, classic hydrangeas no longer absorb any more water, which means they’re ready for air-drying. Simply put them in a vase without water, or hang them upside down to let the flowers dry to get many more months of pleasure from them.
How to take care of hydrangeas
- Make sure there’s enough water in the vase.
- Use a clean vase – hydrangeas don’t work well in a metal vase or bucket. Try using a glass vase instead.
- Add flower food to the water
- Cut the stems with a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, so they hydrate as much as possible. Repeat this every three to four days, so the fresh stem can absorb the water.
- Mist the flowers for extra hydration.
- Minimise evaporation and extend your vase life by defoliating the stems.
- Don’t place the hydrangea in full sun, near floor heating or by a draft.
Find out more at hydrangeaworld.com
Want more wedding information and inspiration? Just hit ‘Like’ on our Wedding Ideas Facebook page, and ‘Follow’ on our @wimagazine Twitter account to join in the conversation.
