It's hard to say goodbye to beautiful blooms at the end of the growing season. So why not preserve them? Drying flowers is easy to do, and you can create colorful floral displays to enjoy all year long.
There are several methods to drying flowers. The first step to any of these methods is to start with good quality flowers. Select ones that have proven to be dryable. Some of the best flowers to use are everlastings, like gomphrena, celosia, yarrow and statice. Other plants, like rose, peony, hydrangea, zinnia, marigold and salvia, also dry very well. Blue, orange, yellow and pink flowers retain the best color.
The time of day when you pick the flowers is important--wait until the dew has dried before picking. Noon or later is ideal. Once you've picked your favorites, prep them for drying by stripping off the leaves.
There are three methods for drying the blooms. Take a look:
Air-Drying Method 1
- Gather a bundle of blooms and secure the stems together with a rubber band.
- With the blooms positioned upside down, secure the bundle to a wire coat hanger, using a second rubber band.
- Hang the flowers in a dark, dry place, such as a spare bedroom closet or attic. Make sure that there is some air circulation. In optimum conditions, this method will dry the flowers in about three to four days.
Air-Drying Method 2
This method ensures that blooms open as much possible. You'll need a bucket and a piece of hardware cloth to cover the top of it. Hardware cloth comes in different widths of mesh. If you are drying thicker-stemmed flowers, select a mesh than can accommodate the stem size.
- Stretch the mesh over top of an empty bucket.
- Insert a flower stem into a hole of the mesh. Repeat until all the flowers are inserted. The flowers will dry in about four days.
Kitty Litter Method
You can use silica gel or kitty litter to dry your flowers. Silica gel can be purchased at many craft stores. It's a little expensive but lasts a long time and is reusable. Kitty litter is a less expensive alternative but is heavier and may flatten delicate petals. Here's how it works for either silica gel or kitty litter.
- Place a crumpled piece of aluminum foil inside a container, such as a box or plastic dish--anything long enough to accommodate the flowers can be used. The foil helps keep the flowers from bring crushed. Lay long-stemmed flowers across strips of bunched-up foil, and use circles of bunched-up aluminum foil to keep flowers from flattening on one side.
- Sprinkle the silica gel or kitty litter gently over the open blooms until they are completely covered. Close the container, and allow it to sit undisturbed for five to seven days.
- Once flowers dry, make sure to set them with a fixative, such as aerosol hairspray. This helps to keep moisture from being reabsorbed.
- Once the flowers are dried and treated with a fixative, arrange them in a floral display and enjoy all year long.
Guests Susan Holton
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Chaska, MN
952-443-1410
Website:
www.arboretum.umn.edu/default.asp
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