i want to cut my hydrangea blooms to put in vase

Hi! i have lots of hydrangeas, some are thriving in full southern exposure sunshine, others in the shade. I believe we planted little tiny sticks from the Arbor Day Foundation.

I have cut so many flowers from the shrub any which way i like (the majority cover a nasty hill at the top of the driveway). I cut from first bloom until it freezes. at every stage. (zone 5)It always comes back, always loaded with blooms.

Out of necessity, i cut wherever i can reach on the shrubs. no method to my madness. i leave mine to grow naturally without shaping them. they drape down the slope from the weight of the branches.

As cut flowers, they last forever in a vase full of water or not. Really!
and when the fall comes, the flowers become dried flower arrangements - they look gorgeous even when flowers are dried up and the leaves are gone. They still look beautiful on the shrub and don't fall to pieces. you can't tell without touching them that they're dried flowers. I've saved and displayed the same hydrangea blooms from vases filled with water to empty vases for months... i don't even bother cutting off the dried up flowers close to winter time.

tip: the flower clusters do attract little bugs, shake the flower stems upside down before bringing them into the house and don't cut them when wet - the stems might break.

hydrangeas are the best thing happening to my yard from August til around thanksgiving.

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