Now is the time to take a long, lingering look at your beautiful blooming Hydrangeas.  Not one of those fond farewell glances--rather, one of those, “I get to enjoy you all year-long” glimpses of joy.   Because, soon…very soon, it will be time to pick and preserve them for years—(yes years)-- to come!

The big trick to successfully drying Hydrangeas is patience.  The most important thing is to let the flowers dry naturally on the plants.  Timing is everything…and this usually happens between August and October.  When the petals take on a kind of “vintage look”, or when they mature to the color of parchment paper with hints of pink or green…they're ready to be picked.

• Here are a few more tips for successful drying.  The rest is a matter of preference. 
• Don't cut blooms at their peak or during a rainy spell—(fat chance here in California this year!)  Why? The stems hold too much water and the flowers won't dry fast enough to stay pretty.
• Don't wait too long, either—or the flowers will pass their time of beauty.  Timing is everything.
• Snip the flowers on a cool morning cutting the stems at an angle. 
• Vary the stem lengths from about 12” -18”.
• Strip off the leaves and put the stems in a jar of water that covers the stems about halfway.
• Make sure not to crowd the blossoms.
• Put the jar in a cool spot out of direct or bright light and check periodically.
• They should be ready in about two weeks.  If not, add a little more water and give them a bit more tincture of time.  (No need to hide them away during this process—get them out there to enjoy—plus, you won't forget about them.)

If you really want to overthink this you can always:

Hang them upside down to dry---keeping them in a cool, dry spot out of direct sun; use glycerin—a whole big deal and not worth the trouble; or, to speed the process, dry them in silica or white sand…covering them completely and removing them after two to four days and gently shaking them clean.

There is nothing more beautiful than a fall bouquet in a vase or a winter wreath made up of your glorious Hydrangeas that you've cherished all summer in your yard.  So go out and capture the beauty of spring and summer and enjoy on the longest day of the year.