12/03/08

Dried flowers can be used in distinctive decorative arrangements which are long-lasting, can be enjoyed for months, even years to come and require little care. Flower drying is not complicated or time consuming. It is inexpensive and no previous experience is needed. It is also a good way to expand gardening activities.

The goal in drying flowers is to remove moisture slowly while maintaining as much as of the original shape, color and texture as possible. For best color and form, the flowers for drying should be gathered when they are as dry as possible but not wilted from the sun. Late morning is the best time to pick flowers. If it has not rained for the past several days, it is even better. Flowers or leaves for drying can be collected at anytime during the growing season from early spring until late fall.

Other important details while choosing the flowers are: Always collect more material than it is needed to allow for damage, try to pick the flowers that are free of insects and disease/damage and try to find the flowers that are at various stages to bloom because the flowers will open more as they dry.

Fresh flowers and other plants can be dried by one of these several methods:

AIR DRYING

It is the simplest method used to dry leaves and flowers. It takes little time and skill. The steps for air drying are:

- Strip any dead leaves

- Group the stems into small bunches

- Tie stems with rubber bands or twist ties

- Hang upside down in a cool, dry and dark area such as an attic or a closet.

- Allow them to dry for two or three weeks depending on the thickness of the stems or foliage. The more fleshy the flowers are, the more time is required to dry.

DESICCANT DRYING

Flowers that wilt quickly must be dried in a supportive substance to preserve their natural color and shape.

Dry and clean sand is one of the oldest materials used for drying and at the same time one of the cheapest. The steps for sand drying are:

- Prepare a drying box by filling it half with sand

- Place the flowers on the sand

- Gently sift more sand over the flowers until all the petals are covered

- Place the box in a warm and dry area

- Allow the flowers to dry in sand for one to three weeks

The basic problems with sand drying are that sand is heavy and sometimes damages the delicate petals.

The modern replacement for sand is silica gel, which is the most satisfactory material for drying flowers at home. It can be purchased at garden centers, craft or hardware stores. Silica gel is not cheap but it can be used over and over again. The same methods for sand drying also apply, just replace the sand with silica gel.

Microwaves can also be used to dry flowers. It takes only a few minutes. The steps for microwave drying with a desiccant are:

- Prepare a microwave safe container with a 1" thick layer of silica gel

- Place the flowers on the silica gel

- Sprinkle carefully more silica gel on the flowers

- Microwave them on 50% power for 2-3 minutes

- The silica crystals turn from bright blue to pinkish gray as they absorb moisture

- Remove the flowers gently immediately

- To remove the moisture from the silica gel, after removing the dried flowers, microwave the crystals for two minutes on high power. You must be careful not to use the container, used with silica gel, for food.

You can use the dried flowers to decorate mirrors, hats or baskets or you can just put the flower arrangements in vases. Another way to use dried flowers is to decorate packages and presents with them. You can also use them as wall decorations.