If you have hydrangeas in your own garden and want to bring bouquets of those beautiful fl wers indoors, you often can have mixed results with some blossoms holding up well while others wilt within a day or two. Here are a few tips to keep all the blossoms you cut looking fresh: — In the garden, cut in the morning and select only the most mature blossoms. Clip the stem on a diagonal and while still in the garden, plunge the stem immediately into a container of tepid water. — Once you are in the house, strip off all the le ves. Leaving the leaves on shortens the life of the fl wers as the leaves compete with the fl wer for moisture. If you want hydrangea foliage, select a branch or two with no fl wers — Recut stems a second time to the length you want, cutting again on the diagonal and make a second vertical cut up the stem. The shorter the stem, the longer the fl wer will last. Place the stem for 30 seconds in a container of just boiled water to dissolve sap and allow the blossom to take up the maximum amount of water. — If you have some extra time, you can condition the blossoms by submerging the entire stem to just below the fl wer head in a container of lukewarm water immediately after you have recut the stems. Then cover the blossoms with a damp paper towel and move them to a cool location for several hours. You can also condition by submerging the entire blossom in a sink or bathtub of cool water for 20 minutes. — When arranging the fl wers, adding a floral p eservative to the water is always a good idea. Change water and recut stems regularly. — If after all that you still have a wilted blossom or two, try recutting the stems and plunging the entire wilted hydrangea into a sink of cool water for about an hour, making sure the stem is under the surface of the water. That may rehydrate the blossom and allow it to bounce back to its previous beauty. See www.stlouishomesmag.com for resources and additional photos.
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