Anyone have dried hydrangea blooms to sell?

I've wanted my own hydrangeas to decorate with for ever, but I've finally come to terms with the fact that it just isn't meant to be, so I'm now looking to buy dried booms.

I'd like a lot of them, and thought I'd check with my ATP friends to see if any of you dry and sell them first. Perhaps even a trade

Oops! 2 days late. I cut all of my remaining ones off a couple of days ago.

Karen

Trish, I could dry some for you.
Or I could just cut a bunch of blooms and send.

You are so sweet Have you dried them before? Did they retain their color? Would the bloom wilt before it got to me if sent fresh? (I've never done that before)

Karen- day late, and dollar short, as they say!

Hi Trish,

Let me look in the garden tonight i think I still have a few blooming. I can try to dry them for you
I have done it before I even have a few I will take a photo and send you if you want them also :)

Shannon

Trish, I have never done this before so no answers for you, sorry.

Spring- You are so generous to offer! I don't think the blooms will make it shipped like that, and I don't want to give anyone extra work to do

My friend Sam, who lives across the street from me, has the most amazing hydrangeas. Even in the drought this summer they bloomed as if there were no problem. I didn't try drying them, I just cut and kept them fresh in vases, but I'll walk over this evening and see if they are still in bloom and if they are, I'll dry some for you.

If not, then you might just have to wait till next summer.
How's that?

Are they still in bloom, Sharon- or did I just wait too long this year?

The blooms right now are very small, so I don't want to use them. Stalks aren't strong on the latest ones either.

There are some larger older blooms that are drying on the plants. They look pretty good, but I think they won't last very long when left to dry like that. Sam said she'd prune the bushes this week and would save the largest, nicest, dried ones for me and we could try them. All we'll do is hang them upside down till they are finished drying and then I could send them to you.

Best way is to water dry, lasts longer that way, but too late for that method right now.

So yes, it's a little late but we can try. If it doesn't work this time, it will next.

Sharon, what do yo9u mean "best way is to water dry..."?
I have a few little green bloom heads left. ideally, if you are using them for crafts, do you pick them before they start to fade?
Trish, care to share what you are going to make with them? Or was there a whole big thread with ideas that I missed?
Now you've got me curious. I'll have to check Pinterest!

Cindi, water drying means to put the cut bloom into a glass about half full of water, and just let the water evaporate. Don't add more water and leave the bloom alone. It usually retains its color and just simply dries out, just like it is.

Works best to pick them in fullest bloom. Really simple. Just put them in a vase of water and let the water go away. The blooms might fade slightly but not much.

I just lay them around on shelves or put them in a dry vase for decorating. They get a little brittle as they dry, so I don't like to manipulate them very much.

Cindi-

I've always liked to tuck dried blooms here and there, and they are especially nice in the fall/winter when fresh blooms aren't available, IMHO. In one of our many moves, I trashed all of my dried blooms thinking that I'd just dry more, but my hydrangea days have been over ever since I saw a pin the other day on for a beautiful bloom wreath, and said "That's it! I MUST have more at once!" I miss them!

I've dried them using a vase of water- just fill the vase up a little bit (an inch or so) and let the blooms draw up the water. Just leave them, and they will dry on their own. When I did them that way, I never got the color to stay, but they still are very fun brown.

Same way, but add glycerine, and you can get more color to stay in the bloom.

Sharon said:Cindi, water drying means to put the cut bloom into a glass about half full of water, and just let the water evaporate. Don't add more water and leave the bloom alone. It usually retains its color and just simply dries out, just like it is.

You have the magic touch getting them to keep color that way!

Never tried blue ones, only the pinks and those that have the hint of green. They fade a little bit, maybe like to a dusty rose or the greens to a grayish green. I really can't remember if I added glycerine or not but probably not.

Whites turned a little bit tannish.

And dry them away from sunlight.

Good information! Thanks, ladies! The only hydrangea that survived this summer was a green one-Limelight, maybe? My kitchen has some green, so I'm going to try this!