From Fresh to Dry Bouquet

I originally posted this in 2018 and have since learned this is a reliable method for drying hydrangeas. There are folks that have a dining room table full of hydrangeas this time of year "drying" for their winter arrangements. The picture above left is a fresh flower arrangement that I put together on October 1 in 2018.  The one on the right is what I had left from that arrangement after a few weeks. What do they have in common?  

Answer:  The blooms from the Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'.  I hit that magical time when I cut the flowers, they dried in the vase and have been showing their colors for the last six weeks.  Yes, these are they same stems in both pictures.  I could take credit for knowing the perfect timing for this, but I would be lying.  
I have since discovered that I blundered that year into a legitimate drying technique.  The trick is to cut the blooms just as they start to change color and feel a little papery.  Cut the stems at an angle, strip the leaves and put them in water at about half the length of the stems. Then let the water evaporate and, viola, the hydrangea has dried and retained much of the colors.  
Hydrangea Limelight is a hardy shrub. The planting tag claims it should be planted in full sun, but I have it in part shade and it does quite well. The blooms start light green, go to a cream, then start to go back to a green with burgundy hues. The blooms left on the shrub will turn brown and last until spring. I leave all my hydrangea standing through the winter as I think they add some interest to the garden.