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We frequent the weekly farmer's markets in our area and really enjoy our haul each week. Yesterday we passed by a booth that had $7 fresh cut bouquets that looked lovely... it had a couple of hydrangeas, a bird of paradise, and some greenery. I got one bouquet for me, and another for D2, who we always stop by and see after the farmer's market because it's close to her house. She immediately put her bouquet in some water, but mine sat out in the car for the hour or so that we were visiting with them. As soon as we got home, I cut all the stems at a diagonal, and put them in a vase with water - they were already looking a bit wilty, but I figured once I cut the stems and got them in water, they'd perk up.

As I finished putting the last stem in the vase, I looked down and saw ants all over my kitchen counter - obviously coming from the flowers or greenery. So I took the bouquet outside and put it on the patio dining table, which is not in direct sun, but it was hot yesterday (mid 90s). The flowers never perked up, and continued to wilt, so this morning I brought them inside, making sure all the ants were gone, cut some of the stems again, and waited. Part of one of the hydrangeas is just barely starting to open back up, but everything else looks as it did yesterday.

Could the heat of being in the car have doomed my bouquet? Then I added fire to the fuel by moving the vase outside when I found the ants? When I bought the bouquet, they did not provide any water in the plastic sleeve they put the arrangement in. But they had been in water when we got them.

I got D the exact same bouquet, and hers is fine. I'd like to start buying flowers each week at the farmer's market, but want to make sure I do what I need to to make sure they last. I've had hydrangeas in arrangements coming from a florist that have lasted well over a week. Obviously I did something wrong.

Hydrangea are exceptionally fussy about water. There are a few varieties that have been bred to be more drought tolerant, and those are the ones you'll find at florists, because otherwise, they'd be impossible to ship. But if you got yours at a farmer's market, it's probably one of the many cultivars that start wilting within 20 minutes of being taken out of the water pail.

Fun fact: hydrangea are also one of the few flowers that can rehydrate through their petals. The next time that you have some that look a bit droopy, put them in a bucket upside down with the blooms fully submerged for 10 or 15 minutes. They'll come out looking like a wet cat, but cut the ends again and put them in your vase, and over the next several hours, they should reinflate. It won't work if they're really far gone, but it's a good trick for the early stages of dehydration.

Be glad that you just bought a fun bouquet for home. Pinterest has laid many brides low because they think they can DIY a wedding bouquet with garden hydrangea. Florists pick the right varieties and spray the petals to keep them from dessicating. You've seen for yourself how fast a local, untreated cut hydrangea will shrivel, especially outdoors in summertime.

Put them under water, and cut, and put them back in vase, add some white soda, or sodium bicarb (baking soda)
But I honestly think you are out $7.00

Or you can put them in a vase, and without water, and allow the hydrangea to dry out, and then you can have a smaller bouquet of dried hydrangea.

I also buy flowers at the farmers market and I generally find they last at least 2 weeks— amazing what local and fresh does. And I grow hydrangeas in my yard— they last forever if I cut and IMMEDIATELY put in water.
I think the heat got yours - maybe bring a jar and some water for them to hang out in while you visit with your daughter next time.

($7 is a great deal! No wonder you buy them for you and your DD!)

All great information! Thanks. Will do things differently the next time we pick up an arrangement at the farmer's market. Interesting about the different varieties of hydrangeas and their ability to survive longer periods of time. Also, great advice about dipping the blooms in a bucket of water! I would have never known that.

Are hydrangeas like peonies when it comes to attracting ants? Again, D's bunch didn't have ants, but mine did.

just thought this belong here. Stem bent over for second time Monday

See branch splint under bloom. First time was when it was only three feet tall.

Sunflowers are wife's favorite flower

[This message edited by grubs at 7:16 PM, Thursday, August 4th]

@grubs -

Did you mean to insert a photo? I just see a tiny box with a question mark inside of it symbol.

The wild card cert on Images.survivinginfidelity.com has expired. I exceptioned the cert warning when I posted. I'll report that. In the meantime I'll move it to Imgr.com