Garden Tip 195

Cooler nighttime temperatures are a signal to the Hydrangea paniculata group to start shutting down. A few weeks ago we spoke of harvesting macrophylla flowers that were drying and ‘antiquing’ on the plant.  It is now time to begin gathering paniculata flowers to dry for winter enjoyment as well.

Paniculata flowers, the cone-shaped flowers, age differently from the macrophyllas. The cool temperatures bring out hues of cream, pink, and red in the white flowers, which deepen in intensity every week. I start cutting during the last weeks of August and continue to cut every week, getting color in different hues as time goes on.

Like the macrophyllas, cut stems are placed in a bucket with two inches of water and placed in the basement to dry. And here’s a tip, by cutting the stems at different lengths, you can get a lot more stems in a bucket without overcrowding the flowers. Paniculata varieties with great color this week include Limelight Prime, Quickfire Fab, Firelight, and Strawberries and Cream.