Ask Ella: Hot-Watering Your Hydrangeas

This is the time of year where flowers are everywhere, being sold on street corners, at floral shops, at grocery stores, at the deli and in the subway. Nothing really changes a summer day quite like a bunch of flowers– whatever colors or size they might be. A single rose can turn an entire room around– and who doesn’t want to come home to some color after a wonderful day spent outside?

Hydrangeas, in particular, bring joy into any room. Their soft pastel colors evoke comfort and the “fluffy” texture adds a cozy finish. Plus: there are no allergens and virtually everyone loves them–from aesthetes to painters to grandmothers and wedding planners.

Our resident gardening expert, Ella, has a simple piece of advice to keep your hydrangeas looking fresh. If you’re dealing with fresh hydrangeas, make sure you break the stem roughly and scratch the stem around the broken area before putting it in warm water (this increases the surface area through which the hydrangea can absorb water).

Hydrangeas have an affinity for extremes, which is why they like heated water. You can also use hot, almost-boiling water to revive the blossoms if they start to wilt– this is an age-old trick that acts sort of like a pulmonary jump-start. It works like a charm every time.