Hydrangeas fade and freckle so beautifully when they age and dry. Above is what one hydrangea bush looked like this summer. Below is the same bush taken from the same angle of the same flowers. Can you believe it? The summer bush has identical bright pink blooms, but as fall emerges they go off on their own unique color adventure and you never know what you will get--freckles or not, lime green, dusty rose, maybe lavender; they are all pretty.

Hydrangeas are simple to dry and preserve. Wait until the end of summer or beginning of autumn when the petals have faded and the texture has turned from moist and delicate to a pliant, lightly leather-like feel. Cut stem to desired length, it doesn't seem to matter if the stem is long or short; strip the leaves from the stem and place in a vase with a few inches of water. Don't crowd them; give each blossom their own air space. In a few weeks when the water has evaporated, the hydrangeas will be dry and papery and are ready for arranging. They will continue to fade to ivory over time, and you can even spray paint them. Below are beautiful ways to display dried hydrangeas.