Hey lucky Valentines~ did you receive a gorgeous bouquet of hydrangea for Valentine’s Day, but didn’t know how to keep them alive for more than two days?

“Over the last 10 years in the flower business,  hydrangea have become the most popular cut flower,” shares KDHamptons floral expert and Topiaire owner Erin Meaney. “There are the Dutch hydrangea which are often in bold blues, purples, pinks, burgundys, and the South American hydrangea which are cream, light blue, and green. They are fabulous to design with, as well as incredible looking in mixed arrangements. They do, however, have a fatal flaw. They commonly wilt, and sometimes rather quickly. This is due to the stems getting clogged and water no longer reaching the head of the flower.”

Hydrangea 911~

Erin says, “We commonly get phone calls that the arrangement was gorgeous until the hydrangea wilted prematurely. We recommend that when we send out hydrangea in arrangements, the clients need to know how to revive a wilted hydrangea.

Here’s how to rescue your wilted flower:

1.  “Pull the hydrangea out of the arrangement and cut it on a slant. Do not use scissors as this can pinch the stem into closing. Cut a sharp slant and put in hot tap water. Your hydrangea will usually pop back to perfection within an hour,” says Erin.

2.  “You should always change all water in your arrangements every other day as well. I often take home the old hydrangea from my shop and still will get 5 or 6 days out of them by cutting and changing water frequently.”

3.  Erin adds, “I think most people think you get flowers and the work is done, but you need to keep fresh water and fresh cuts to ensure longer bloom time on all your cut flowers. Hope this tip is helpful from Topiaire!”

KDH has always been frustrated by fast wilting hydrangea so we can’t wait to try out these great tips…..Thanks Erin!

*Topiaire is located at 51 Jobs Lane, Southampton; 631.287.3800