I absolutely adore my hydrangea bushes. I honestly can't think of a more beautiful flowering bush out there.
Most of mine are the Limelight Hydrangeas which produce the most gorgeous cone shaped blooms that start off as a lovely light lime green color in the summer, changing to gorgeous shades of pink, red and burgundy in the fall.
This plant really makes a statement.
I wrote a whole post on tips for how to grow hydrangea and also one on how to dry hydrangea the easy way. Because half the fun of this plant is drying the blooms in the fall!
I've even shown you how to grow hydrangea in pots if you don't have the space for them in the yard. Or just want them to be mobile, so you can move them all over your patio.
I might be just a little bit obsessed with my hydrangeas!
Today I'm showing you how I am using some of my beloved Limelight Hydrangea blooms to form a wreath for my front door.
You might have noticed it on my front porch in my recent Simple And Subtle Fall Porch Decor story last week.
How To Make A Hydrangea Wreath
(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)
Supplies
- Fresh Cut Hydrangea Blooms
- 18" Metal Wreath Form
- Floral Wire or Floral Tape
- Scissors or Wire Cutters
So let's talk hydrangea blooms.
You are going to want to use blooms freshly cut from a hydrangea bush. Fresh cut hydrangea blooms are so much easier to work with than dried ones, because the stems are still easily bent and the flower petals aren't as easily crushed.
I used roughly 40 blooms on my 18" wreath form.
Which seems like a lot, but you are going to want to pack them in tight, because they do shrink up as they dry. Better to over-stuff than under-stuff.
When is the best time to cut your hydrangea blooms for a wreath? I wait until early fall when they have had a chance to show some variation in color and the petals feel almost paper-like. If you cut them too soon in the season, let's say July, the blooms will be too moist and will not dry correctly on the wreath form. In central Ohio, which is Zone 6a, I cut mine anywhere from late September to early October (the ones in my photos were cut September 23rd).
Instructions
Strip all leaves off the stems and cut the stems to roughly 4" long. Throw away or compost the leaves.
Loop floral wire around the wire form a few times to securely attach the wire to the frame.
BTW, I use this floral wire (also known as paddle wire) ALL THE TIME. I always have a paddle of it on hand around the holidays for tying bows to wreaths or using as safety wire to keep the pine greenery around the front door in place. Seriously, you need to grab some of it when it goes on sale.
Lay your 1st bloom on the frame. Wrap the wire around the bloom and frame going from the front around the back and to the front again. Pull the wire very tightly as you go to hold it firmly in place.
You are going to go around the frame 3 times per bloom to make sure each stem is securely tied to the frame.
Lay the next bloom overlapping the 1st one and again wrap the wire around the bloom and wire form 3 times.
Remember you want to REALLY stuff these blooms on there, so when they dry there will not be empty spots showing through.
Keep going around the wreath form, bumping up the new blooms against the previous blooms.
When you get to the end of the wreath, do the same with the very last bloom and tie the end of the wire to the frame.
Stand back and admire your wreath.
Although your wreath started off with fresh blooms, it will dry naturally over the next few days and should be completely dry in 3-4 days.
I just LOVE the variations of color I get by using my Limelight Hydrangea for the wreath, but you could use other varieties of hydrangea also!
Tip For Making Your Dried Hydrangea Wreath Last
Once dried, you can spray the entire wreath with an aerosol hairspray (think 1980's Aqua-Net) to keep the little hydrangea florets from falling off when bumped into.
This is an optional step, but one I normally do as an added precaution since it's going to be outside in the wind and weather (although still on the porch).
Have you made a hydrangea wreath lately? What is your favorite variety of hydrangea to use in your wreath?
View the web story version of this article HERE.
Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How To Grow Hydrangea In Pots
How To Grow Limelight Hydrangea
How To Dry Hydrangea The Easy Way
Pam
Thank you for all the wonderful information
Meegan
Your hydrangea wreath is so lovely. I wish I could grow them here in the desert. But, I will enjoy yours instead 🙂
Have a wonderful week, Pam!
Kim
So pretty andI may just need to try growing hydrageas again so i can make one of these. Pinned
Diane
Oh Pam, your wreath is STUNNING! Must plant some of my own, rather than salivating over the multiple neighbors' bushes. I 'wait' for those to dry, and hope that a dried bloom or two or three will blow my way late fall. I honestly do have a couple in vases right now.
Melinda J Tucker
Love this wreath , nice touch for your fall front porch .
Pam Kessler
Thanks Melinda!
Eme
Very pretty colors. Nicely done. I have a question about
hydrangeas. The last 2 seasons I only got 2 or 3 blooms but the plant itself doubled in size. It gets early morning sun to mid-afternoon. I read not to trim the deadwood from the new wood and its a bit confusing for someone like me who doesn't have a lot of gardening experience. So I don't know if I should prune the new leaves as they are in abundance or just leave it alone. Any suggestions?
Pam Kessler
The biggest reasons a hydrangea doesn't produce a lot of blooms is not enough sunlight or pruning at the wrong time.
As for sunlight, I have two Limelights on either side of my porch. The one on the slightly shadier side normally has 1/3 the blooms of the one on the slightly sunnier side. They were planted the same time, same soil, same nutrients and that small amount of sun is the only difference.
As for pruning, different hydrangea bloom differently. Some bloom on new growth (like the Limelight), so if you want to prune them you want to do it after the blooms are done in the fall/winter or very early in the spring. Never prune a Limelight after it has started growing again in the spring or you'll chop off any potential blooms for that year.
Some hydrangea bloom on old growth only (mainly the older traditional varieties, like the Mopleaf, Lacecap and Oak Leaf), they'll start setting buds for the next year soon after they are done blooming for the current year, so if you want to prune them do it shortly after they have bloomed in the summer.
And then there are some hydrangea that bloom on BOTH old growth and new growth (like the popular Endless Summer varieties). They aren't as picky about when you prune them back, since they will get blooms on both types of growth. But generally, I leave mine alone and just cut out obviously dead canes in the late spring when I am sure they are truly dead.
Pam Kessler
I forgot to add, one of my Endless Summer ones has a blooming problem. It's never had more than 5 blooms on it the last 5-6 years. Every single fall I remind myself to move it to a better place with a bit more sun and every single year I quickly forget about doing it 🙂 Maybe this year will be the year!
Carolyn
The rain and heat ruined ours. Yours are always so fresh and full.. Great instructions. Maybe next year I will post a picture of my limelight hydrangea wreath.
Pam Kessler
It was a little bit cooler than normal here, so I had an extra large "crop" of hydrangea blooms!
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
This is pure pretty, Pam! Love the tutorial! I planted an Annabelle this year and harvested a bunch of big blooms. I have a spot for another...I'll have to get a Limelight, too!
Pam Kessler
Oh, Annabelles are gorgeous! Hope you are enjoying your weekend!