After the season for cut flowers has passed, dried adaptations of
summer's splendor allow you to continue to enjoy the beautiful flowers
that once stood magnificently in your garden. Most flowers can be
dried through preserving them in bunches; however, more delicate
flowers require drying with silica gel.
Tools and Materials Needed…
1. Pruners
2. Rubber bands
3. Pole or pipe ½ -inch in diameter or drying rack
4. Paper clips
5. Newspaper or dropcloth
6. Silica gel
7. Airtight plastic or glass container
Harvest Flowers:
Harvest stems just as the first flowers reach maturity. Do not wait
too long. Flowers at the top of the stem may be particularly closed,
but that is o.k. The best time to harvest is mid-morning on a slightly
breezy day. By mid-morning, the dew has dried off the leaves, but
it will be a while before any flower will wilt. Dampness slows drying
and can lead to mold. When cutting, take as much stem as possible
and make a clean, angled cut with a sharp pruner.
Air-Dry Bunches:
Choose a cool, dry airy room such as a spare bedroom or large closet
as your drying room. Low light is fine, but direct light will drain
the color from your flowers. Hang flowers upside down in 1-½-inch-thick
(at their stem) bunches spaced apart. Secure bunches with a rubber
band and hang from a ½-inch-diameter horizontal pole, a pipe
from a ceiling or a drying rack. Bent paper clips make perfect hangers
for your bunches. Place newspaper or a drop cloth under bunches
to catch fallen leaves and petals.
Apply Silica Gel:
To preserve fragile and moist blooms, use silica gel. In a shallow,
airtight plastic or glass container, spread the flowers on a one-inch-thick
layer of silica. Carefully spoon more silica on top until you have
covered the flowers with at least another inch of powder. Seal the
container and leave it for three to four days. Or microwave the
flowers, sealed in a plastic container, for about three minutes.
Allow 15 minutes to cool.
Remove the Finished Flowers:
Check the blossoms to be sure they are adequately dried. With either
method, remove the blossoms carefully when they are finished drying,
and shake or brush off the crystals lightly. Store dried flowers
in arrangements out of direct sun to reduce the leaching of color
from the blossoms.
