Hi, Holly,

I am in zone 5 and have Annabelle hydrangeas, which bloom creamy white, and then go lime green and finally brown. In the lime-green-almost-brown stage, I cut and place them in a vase with water. In a week or so, the water has evaporated, and the flowers are sufficiently dried to use.

I learned this method when I visited a local home decor store that had beautiful dried flower arrangements, and spotted the owner cutting some of her hydrangeas in the store's parking lot! I asked her how she dried them, and she reluctantly shared the method above with me. ;-)

I think it depends upon the type of hydrangea, the growing season, and at what point you want them dried to display. If you have the space and patience, I would experiment with cutting at various times to see what works best.

Good luck!

Thank you so much! My hydrangeas are blue then turn green and then brown. I love them at each and every stage. We are going to plant three more hydrangeas in the spring so even more sources!