Hydrangeas: How to Make Cut Blooms Last

I am super thankful that the person who owned this house before me loved hydrangeas as much as I do.  She planted about 15 different bushes with at least 4 different varieties.  They line my driveway and make my heart happy every time I pull in.  Along with that goes threats from me every time someone is backing out of my driveway..."you hit my hydrangeas and I may literally kill you!!"  I'm only partially kidding :-)

The best part for me is having more to cut than I know what to do with!  Back before the days of Pinterest I actually pulled an article out of Southern Living written by the Grumpy Gardener on how to make your hydrangea blooms last.  It is old and wrinkly and I still refer to it to refresh my memory at the beginning of every season. 

1.  Plunge stems in cool water immediately after cutting
2. Pour about 1 inch of boiling water into a container and let it cool for a few minutes.
3. Cut the stems at an angle at the length you want for your arrangement.
4.Hold the bottom 1 inch of the stems in the hot water for about 30 seconds.
5. Transfer the stems to cool water for your arrangement.

Do not ask me the reason behind this method because I can honestly say I do not know why... but it works!

I love these blue hydrangeas in a simple white pitcher.

The arrangement on the left is in my dining room.  It has been on this table with only one water change and stem trim for over two weeks now and is still looking amazing!  The one on the right I cut and brought in yesterday without going through the above steps and as you can see it is already more wilted than the other.  It is worth the extra time to have your arrangement last literally weeks longer!  These little arrangements are my go to hostess gift all summer.  You can pick up a cute vase at a thrift store, add hydrangeas and have a gift most anyone would love. 

Here are a couple other varieties from my yard.

Nightingale Lace Cap Hydrangea

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

For all other cut flowers refer to Rebekah's post from last week.
For tips on drying hydrangeas refer to this post on our dried hydrangea wreath.

Coming up Wednesday will be the Entry Closet Makeover reveal! I just have to find a few baskets I like and do some touch up painting.  See here for the inspiration and before pictures.  Also, and recap of the greatest weekend ever with the Hendricks and Moody's including lots of pictures of muddy husbands and kids from the Mad Mountain Mud Run. 

Last but not least Rebekah and I are planning a series on getting balance is all aspects of our (your) life because we have decided we both are in serious need.  We are going to figure out how to get our bodies, parenting, homes, and work lives more balanced, organized and healthy.  Stay tuned.  We have a lot of work to do in a lot of areas and we want you to follow along, help us out, and join in with us!

Kandi

Partying at some of these awesome places!

Motivate Me Monday  Polly Want a Crafter Sew Can Do Boogieboard Cottage DIY Home Sweet Home Brassy Apple Serendipity and Spice Destination Craft Mrs Happy Homemaker Make it Yourself Monday Ask Anna C.R.A.F.T. The Southern Institute The DIY Showoff Craftomaniac Raising 4 Princesses Between Naps on the Porch Bedazzle Me Monday The Life of a Not So Ordinary Wife Make Something Monday

A Diamond in the Stuff Stringtown Home Organizing Home Life Tuesday Tutorials  Be Inspired Tuesday Time Out A to Zebra Celebrations My Favorite Finds Eye Heart Our Delightful Home The Inspiration Board Too Cute Tuesday Trick or Treat Tuesday Chef in Training Sugar Bee Crafts Hope Studios Tell it to me Tuesday Your Cozy Home Party Turquoise Lovin’ Tuesday To Do Party Cherished Bliss Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays Type A Adventures of a DIY Mom Show Me What Ya Got Get Your Craft On Nifty Thrifty Tuesday Tuesday Confessional Teagan Travels How to Nest for Less A Bowl Full of Lemons Tuesday Trade Off Tip Junkie T2T Tuesday Tuesday Treasures Ladybug Blessings Creative Itch Toot your Horn Tuesday Jillify It Tutorial Tuesday Pin Cushion Creations Spicy Link Up

Junk in their Trunk  Polkadots on Parade Sugar and Dots Rock N Share Clean & Scentsible The Trendy Treehouse Beyond the Picket Fence School House Scraps The Thrifty Home Sew Woodsy Savvy Southern Style Your Whims Wednesday Wow me Wednesday A Little Tipsy Women Living Well Primp your Stuff Wednesday Show and Share Mrs. Fox’s Sweet Party Whatever goes Wednesday

  Live.Laugh.Rowe Adventures in Dinner Mom on Timeout The CSI Project Share Your Cup Thursday Fabulously Flawed It’s Sew Stinking Cute The Shabby Creek Cottage The Crafty Blog Stalker Christina’s Adventures Crafty Scrappy Happy Embracing Change 52 Mantels Bear Rabbit Bear The Vintage Farmhouse Bloom Designs A Turtles Life for Me The Taylor House Rhinestone Beagle The Brambleberry Cottage

 The Shabby Nest Tidy Mom Joyful Stamper My Simple Home Life Remodelaholic Delicate Construction Happy Hour Projects Chic on a Shoestring Decorating 504 Main Hating Martha The Creative Paige Here Comes the Sun Cookie Nut Creations Bacon Time Joy in the Jumble The Grant Life Dotted Line Crafts Love Notes by Lauren Raising Oranges Making Lemonade Redoux Interiors Sassy Sites One Artsy Momma My Romantic Home Petals to Picots Pandoras Craft Box My Repurposed Life French Country Cottage At the Picket Fence Just Us Four Mommas Kinda Crafty Craftionary Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons Just Us 4 Sweet Tooth Friday 30 Handmade Days Lovely Crafty Home

Mama Mias Heart to Heart Homemaker in Heels Family Ever After Lady Bird Lane Serenity You The Gingerbread Blog

Cherished Treasures Re-made Just Right Under the Table & Dreaming The Sweet talk Shop Sassafrass Salvation Simple as That My 1929 Charmer Heatherly Loves The Sasse Life Joy 2 Journey The Foley

Garden Chores

Look at these blooms!

Here in the South, we are experiencing a warmer than normal spring; in fact it feels like summer here!  I know we are not the only part of the country experiencing warmer than normal temps.  My big sis called today from Eau Claire Wisconsin (near Minneapolis) and told me it was 78 degrees there today; the ice was off the lake, and her tulips were making their way out of the ground.  At my most recent garden club meeting our speaker said here in zone 7a we are a week to two weeks ahead of our normal plant season which honestly it feels like we are more like a month ahead.  So projects I tend to have a few more weeks to get to needed to have been done yesterday.

At the top of our list of projects to accomplish this weekend was composting and mulching our garden beds.  Although I can't say this is one of my favorite projects, it is an awful lot like painting, instant gratification. 

Look at all that beautiful compost and mulch surrounding my daffodils.

I make a point of mending my soil every spring with a combination of compost and pine bark mulch.  I use pine bark because it is small, and breaks down easily.  Here in Lynchburg we have a predominately red clay soil, not exactly the best soil for plants because it holds water, and then in the hot dry summer it tends to become hard and does not encourage root growth.  I find that the more compost and mulch I can mix into my soil, the happier my plants are through the hot summer months.   Here are a few pictures of the plants that are happily blooming in my garden. 

Camellia

Primroses

Another Camellia

More Daffodils.

I am hating the neighborhood deer these days!  We went away for vacation and came back to this!  Do you see my azalea in the lower right corner of the picture above?  Normally the deer leave my azaleas alone, but not this year.   They came and striped all of the leaves, and flower buds off of my bushes!  Right before they bloom!  Oh how I hate the neighborhood deer.  It has been raining a lot here, so I have been spraying liquid fence on my plants weekly.

Oh how I love spring!  It is just so beautiful around here these days.  Now if I will only stop sneezing!

Rebekah

Garden Inspiration

Rebekah and I have decided to write a few "gardening blogs" in the coming future.  Why you ask, because we both love to garden.  Rebekah is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to gardening;  I usually Google  any plant before I plant it to make sure I'm doing it right!  But, I learn a little something every time I Google (and maybe if my child will start sleeping I might begin to retain at least a tiny amount of knowledge).

source
This is not my house.  But like my Pinterest pin says, "a girl can dream, right!!"

I will be putting in a vegetable garden this year!  Yay!  I've have had two veggie gardens of my own in the past.  The first one my mom planted and I LOVED her for it.  The second one I planted, did a wonderful, beautiful job... and just as all my yummy veggies were getting ready to harvest... we moved!!!  BUMMER!  I really hope those folks who bought our house at least ate a few of my cucumbers and tomatoes. 

Photo from Better Home and Gardens

I am looking forward to this project.  I plan on getting the kids involved (I hear you laughing!).  I grew up on a farm and it is a big part of who I am.  Now I know that a little veggie garden is not the same"growing up on a farm" but hopefully they will at least take something away.  And anyway, there is nothing better on this planet than a tomato sandwich with a juicy homegrown tomato, on soft white bread, smothered in Dukes mayonnaise with tons of salt and pepper.  If your not from the South you are probably gagging but TRY IT!  When tomato juice drips down your wrist you will know you have arrived at perfection

I am entertaining the idea of a wall mounted succulent garden.  They are just so beautiful.  I am not sure if it will happen this summer but I have the perfect spot right outside my kitchen window!

Picture courtesy of Country Living

I am a huge fan of container gardening.  Its like jewelry for your house.  Here are a couple pictures from my house last summer.  This summer I plan to add a little more color I think. 

A couple of containers on the back porch

Front Porch

From my mom's garden last summer.

We also created a backyard last fall!  Before and after pics to come.  Picture an over grown forest with weeds and vines to your neck going to a beautiful, lush shaded yard.  It happened!  More on that to come.  These projects along with a cut flower garden are what I have on the agenda for Spring/Summer 2012 (along with a laundry room redo, dining room makeover, and 20 zillion other projects sitting in my head).

If you love flowers its easier than you think to get started.  BHG and Country Living are great sources for garden plans and other plant knowledge.  Get a plan and head to your garden store.  The people are always so helpful and will get you on your way.  I guarantee if you start with just one container you'll be addicted in no time (speaking from experience)!

Go get your hands dirty!

Kandi