WaterDrying: The Method That Shouldn't Work But Does. Here's where things get weird, and where I'm going to contradict about 90% of the flower-drying advice you'll find elsewhere. The absolute best method I've discovered for dryinghydrangeas involves—wait for it—putting them in... Learn how to dryhydrangeasinwater.The most popular method of dryinghydrangeas is with water – although that might sound a little counterintuitive. Jo Lambell, founder of Beards and Daisies, explains the process Instead, you want the hydrangeas to dry naturally, soaking up the water as they go. This whole process normally takes around 3-4 weeks.How do you dryhydrangeas and keep their colour? The best way to dry colourful hydrangeas is to dry them inwater. How to DryHydrangeas for Stunning Tabletop Displays. Learning how to dryhydrangea flowers is a simple process—one that ends with putting the flowers in a vase filled with water—but the right timing (and technique) is essential. According to Martha Stewart, dryinghydrangeasin a vase of water is an excellent method for preserving their vibrant colors and beautiful blooms. Choose hydrangea blooms that are healthy, avoiding blooms that are wilted or have brown spots... Hydrangea macrophylla (lacecaps and mophead) for instance is one of the most commonly grown hydrangeas, and usually wants more water so may take longer to dry out and preserve completely compared to Hydrangea arborescens or quercifolia. Although it may sound counterintuitive to put hydrangeasinwater to dry them out, the water actually slows down the drying process, keeping the flower’s thick stalk from drooping and providing more color in the dried blooms. Tools and Materials Needed Driedhydrangeas- in kitchen sink. While hydrangeas can be harvested from late summer into early fall, the perfect time to cut them for drying varies based on your location, climate, and the specific variety of hydrangea you’re growing. Remove the leaves from the stems. Arrange the flowers in a vase, with or without water. After the water evaporates, the hydrangeas will dry naturally. Learn how to dryhydrangeas two ways, dryinginwater and drying hanging upside down.hydrangeas-abc-new-2.jpg. Dryinginwater. This was the method I was most interested in trying. It kind of didn’t make any sense to me. Although there was insufficient explanation for this method’s effectiveness, I assumed that providing the hydrangea with a water source was a means of easing the flower into the drying phase. DryingHydrangeas Upside Down. Another method to preserving hydrangeas is by hanging them. For me, it’s not as simple as simple as dropping them inwater and leaving them in a vase to dry. But this method isn’t laborious and can also preserve hydrangeas without wilting them as well. Timing is critical when dryinghydrangeasinwater. You must wait till the blooms have been open for several weeks and beginning to get papery.Allow the water to evaporate and the hydrangeas to dry. It should take two or more weeks. Hydrangeas are one of those flowers that take almost no effort to preserve—they dry in about two weeks and can last for up to a year. You can preserve hydrangeasin several ways, but the water-drying method is best for helping the flowers hold their shape and color.