Autumn Hydrangea Porch Installation

I’ve shared before that I’ve been on a Limelight Hydrangea Rehabilitation Journey, or in other words, we have a bunch of Limelight Hydrangeas in our back patio area that I’ve been trying to get control of. For years they’ve been overgrown, filled with dead branches, and not yielding anywhere near the results I know they could.

This past spring I thought for sure I’d killed them. Experts recommend cutting back limelights by about 1/3 of their size, and I easily cut them back by 2/3. I was *aggressive*, but a trusted neighbor had told me limelights are almost impossible to kill, so I trusted her insights.

I am SO glad that I did! Our limelights this year have yielded a beautiful harvest, full of gorgeous blooms. I now feel much more confident in shaping and pruning them going forward, knowing that they’re extremely resilient and hardy. Even despite our very dry summer (we’ve been in a serious drought), they’ve managed to produce an abundance of blooms.

I knew I wanted to use the blooms for something special. As I was brainstorming ideas, an Autumn Porch Installation came to mind. I’ve never created anything like this before, so figuring out the logistics was definitely a challenge at first. There are some things I will do differently in future installations, like removing the planter and using white twine for a more discreet support system, but for the most part I am very proud of this installation! I still have 1 pillar to go, but we’re having a rainy week (thank you, Lord!) so I’ll need to wait for some dry weather again to tackle the final part of our installation.

The steps to create this installation are really quite simple.

To Create Your Own Autumn Hydrangea Porch Installation:

1. Wait until your limelight hydrangeas have dried to a papery-feel. The blooms should feel stiff and dry to the touch.
2. Collect a bunch of dry branches and sticks. I had a lot of autumn pruning I needed to do around the property, so I gathered some of those sticks and branches together.
3. Group the sticks/branches together and tie they securely together with some twine. Be sure to leave some space between the branches.
4. Secure the bunches of branches to the pillars. I simply tied them to the pillars with some twine. It’s not the cleanest look, but for my first try I’m find with the result. In future years I think I will try securing to the pillars with white twine so it blends in better.
5. Begin cutting your limelight hydrangea blooms. Be sure to leave the stems long, cutting all the way down to the base of their stem growth. You can always trim the stem if you need to.
6. Begin attaching your blooms to the stick framework you created by weaving the stems throughout the sticks and twine. The first few blooms you add will feel loose and sloppy. As you add more and more stems the whole installation will begin to feel more secure.
7. Remove leaves from the stems as desired. I didn’t do this for every stem, but as needed I would run my fingers along the stems to quickly remove the leaves.
8. If you decide to add an arch as I did to our center poles, consider adding a few screws towards the top you can use to anchor your branches to with twine.

This entire installation only cost me $10 in twine, and a few hours of my time. The effort is well worth it, in my opinion!

I am hoping that this installation will last a few weeks. The blooms are already dry, so they should retain their shape and simply fade in color as time passes. We have had a VERY wet week since I took these photos, and everything still looks beautiful and secure! This is very encouraging, and I’m hoping to make this an annual tradition if everything holds up well.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Would you create something like this at your own home?

I’ll end with these final thoughts I shared in a recent Instagram Post…

Creating for me, whether it’s with a camera, flowers, or a paintbrush, is a form of worship. God gave me a gift, and I love using it any chance I get. So when life slows down and I’m able to create something beautiful, listen to worship music, and pray as I work, it’s a joy.

One of my favorite worship songs by Phil Wickham opens with this verse:

“How I long to breathe the air of Heaven

Where pain is gone and mercy fills the streets

To look upon the One who bled to save me

And walk with Him for all eternity”

I find myself continually thinking of that day when I get to see His face, and worship through creating for all of eternity. I imagine He loves seeing us use the gifts He gave us, even if we’re using them simply to make the world a little more beautiful.