Hydrangeas drink a lot of water, so the first thing you should do is really clean up the stem by peeling away any foliage (either with your hands or with clippers). You want to ensure that there’s nothing below the water line when the flowers are in the vase.
Now for the woody stem. You’re going to want to cut at a 45 degree angle, you can use clippers or a knife. You’re increasing the surface area on the bottom of the stem so that the water can travel up to the bloom and drink. Cutting at a 45 degree angle means the tip of the stem doesn't rest on the bottom of the vase, and so the flower can take up more water.
The other interesting thing about hydrangea is that the blooms actually drink as well. So if you wanted to freshen the hydrangea that’s starting to wilt or dehydrate, you can actually spray it with a spray bottle full of nice cool water. If you want to know more about caring for your flowers, head over to our Flower Care Essentials page!