Pull Up a Chair

I've been standing among the hydrangeas a lot this week, and they've been giving me a lot to think about.

Here's what I keep coming back to: you can't care for every hydrangea the same way. Some bloom from what they grew last year — old wood, deep roots, time already invested. You protect that. You don't cut it back just because someone told you spring is for pruning. Others bloom on brand new growth, and holding onto last year's stems is exactly what's keeping them from flourishing.

Neither is wrong. But you have to know which one you have.

I think about that with us — with the lives we're designing. Some of us are in an old-wood season. The blooms are coming, they're just forming slowly from everything you've already poured in. Don't you dare cut that back. Others are in a new-wood season, and the thing standing between you and something beautiful is the old growth you haven't been willing to release yet.

And then there's the bloom worth preserving. You'll know it when you see it — but there's a small window. Catch it at the right moment and you keep it for years. Miss it and it's gone.

Pay attention to what's blooming around you right now. And be honest about what kind of season you're in.

Jules & Lane

Out in the Garden

Know your Hydrangea -- It changes everything

The most common hydrangea mistake isn’t overwatering. It’s pruning at the wrong time. Every hydrangea blooms on either old wood (last year’s stems) or new wood (this year’s fresh growth) — and that single fact determines when you prune and how much you take.

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• Mophead & Lacecap — the classic big blooms in blue, pink, or purple. Bloom on old wood. Prune right after they finish flowering, never in spring.
• Panicle — cone-shaped clusters, often creamy white, very forgiving. Bloom on new wood. Prune in late winter or early spring.
• Snowball (Annabelle) — giant round white blooms, tough and reliable. Bloom on new wood. Prune in late winter or early spring.
• Oakleaf — native variety with beautiful fall foliage. Bloom on old wood. Prune right after bloom.

Preserving Hydrangea Blooms

The window to cut for drying is when the petals have just started to feel slightly papery but still hold their color and the stem is still firm. Too early and they wilt immediately. Too late and the color is gone.

• Air-dry method: Strip leaves, bundle loosely, hang upside down in a dry dark spot with good airflow. Two to three weeks. Expect some color shift — that soft vintage tone is part of the beauty.
• Water-to-air method: Place stems in just an inch or two of water and let it evaporate without adding more. Gentler on the petals and often better for color. Keep dried hydrangeas out of direct sunlight and humidity. A well-dried bloom can hold for a year or more.

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Tuck it in Your Pocket

Have a question you'd love me to answer? A project you're proud of? Something inspiring you've seen? I’d love to hear it—and it might just show up in a future newsletter.

We’re building something beautiful here, together. Now that's BombDiggity!

Here’s to designing a flourishing life,

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360 Bethlehem Lane, La Follette, TN 37766
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