Easy summer arrangement

Published August 21, 2013

At this time of year, hydrangea bushes are full of blooms.

If you are fortunate enough to have a few of these lovely bushes in your garden, then you may want to put together this easy table arrangement for your next dinner party.

Past experience has taught me that the trick to keeping a hydrangea head in full bloom once it is cut is to clip it at the right time during its blooming cycle. If you clip the head too early it will retain too much moisture and not dry properly. The result will be a shriveled and droopy hydrangea head. The key is to cut the head from the bush just when the flowers are turning brown. I’ve had the best luck with this approach when trying to dry the heads for wreaths and other arrangements.

For this arrangement it’s nice to keep the hydrangea heads in complementary colours. For example, look for heads that are all different hues of blue or purple or combine soft shades of pink with subtle creams. When grouped together the effect is quite dramatic.

Materials: 1 straight-sided clear glass vase Large green leaves (from your garden) Wet floral foam Floral scissors or pruning shears Floral preservative Clean your hydrangea heads of any dirt or debris and place them fully immersed in cold water until you are ready to assemble the arrangement.

Soak your floral foam in water pre-treated with floral preservative. Let the foam sit for at least 30 minutes.

Line your glass vase with your greens and place your floral foam inside. Fill the vase three-quarters full with water at room temperature.

Insert your hydrangea heads into the foam until the entire top of the vase is covered.

Place the vase in the centre of your dining table and top the water level if necessary.

This arrangement should last four to five days if kept in a cool location out of direct sunlight.

Barb Lunter is a freelance writer with a passion for home decor, entertaining and floral design. Contact Barb at barb@lunter.ca or follow her on her blog at lunter.ca.

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