Methods of Drying Flowers
Flowers and foliage must be dried separately and by different
methods. Small compact blooms usually dry well by the old fashioned
technique of hanging. For foliage, there is a choice of methods too.
Leaves can be pressed between weighted newspapers or magazines or can be
treated by glycerin and water. Grasses can be dried standing upright in
a container, thereby bending in a natural curve.
Choose the method that promises best results for the material that you
have chosen.
Hanging Method
Many flowers dry well by this extremely simple process. If you are
too busy, or lack space for other methods, you can easily hang them and
still have lovely material for winter bouquets.
Tie flowers in loose bunches and hang heads down until they are dry.
Space is saved by using a wire coat hanger from which several bunches of
flowers may be suspended. To tie and hang the flowers easily, wind an
elastic band several times around the stems, loop it over the wire of
the hanger and catch it again in ends of the stems. Surrounding and
Covering Method
This is a more complicated method in which flower heads are
surrounded and covered by a medium that holds the petals and other parts
of the flower in place during dehydration. For this purpose there is a
choice of materials that may be used.
These are :
- Silica Gel
- Meal and borax
- Perlite
- Sand and borax
The most perfect results are obtained with the silica gel;
however there are other mediums that may be used as well. Meal and
borax are very satisfactory and dry all flowers extremely well.
Perlite or sand and borax, also bring good results. Substitute
stems
When drying flowers that have no stems of their own, such as
hollyhocks that are pinched from the stalk as blossoms bloom and
starflowers that are usually picked very close to the head, a
substitute stem must be made before drying. You may try to insert a
piece of florist wire into the back of the flower.
Where to dry
A dry, dark, warm place should be used for the drying. Attics,
closets or hot furnace rooms are ideal but never a garage or an
ordinary basement because of the dampness.
Silica gel, Sensational development
This new chemical compound is expensive, and rather difficult to
work with, but the results well merit its use. After continual
tests, we are convinced that it is the best of all materials for
drying flowers. However, let us assure you that if your time is
limited, you must not feel that it is a necessity.
We feel that it is impractical to use silica gel for foliage when
the other mediums will do just as well, and other methods (glycerin
and pressing) are much easier and often better. We advise, in most
cases, using silica gel for flowers only.
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