I love fresh fs. But dried fs make up about
85% of the arrangements in my house. Every holiday is an excuse to make
a new dried f arrangement in a vase or basket, to decorate a coffee
table, or act as centerpiece on the dining room table. These arrangements
are one of the reasons I love to grow fs. When choosing and planting
my f bed, I always think ahead to the time of drying and arranging.
The method you choose for drying your fs will depend on the type of
f, and the amount of color you want to preserve.
There are several ways to preserve the fresh beauty of fs for years
in their natural vivid colors without a great deal of work or expense. The
two easiest and least expensive methods are sand-drying and air-drying.
Sand Drying:
Sand-drying can be used to dry a wide variety of fs, such as roses,
tulips, dahlias, marigolds and snapdragons. Flowers which last only one
day, like day lilies, do not dry well. Do not dry asters, azaleas, chrysanthemums,
geraniums, petunias, phlox, pinks, poppies or violets. But feel free to
do your own experimentation.
To prepare for sand-drying, cut the fs at the peak of their show
as any imperfections will be exaggerated by drying. Pick the fs after
the dew has fully evaporated. Make sure the stems are dry.
Prepare the fs by reinforcing the stems and blossoms with florist's
wire or with white glue. For daisy-type fs and fing shrubs,
push a 6" piece of wire through the stem and through the f
head; bend the end of the wire into a hook over the f head and then
pull it down, thus securing the head to the stem. For fs such as
roses and tulips which are dried face-up, cut off most of the stem except
an inch or so and insert the wire as above. For many-petaled fs,
use glue instead of wire. Diluting the white glue with a drip of water
and using a toothpick, dab a thin coat of glue at the base of each petal,
working the glue into the base of each f to attach each petal to
the base. Dry completely.
To dry the fs, slowly cover them with white sand in deep, open
boxes. Cup-shaped or rose-shaped fs should be dried face-up. Make
the sand deep enough to hold the fs in an up position, position
the f carefully and slowly pour the sand around the base of the f,
then around the sides and under and over the petals. Pour the sand evenly
and slowly in order to preserve the natural shape of the blossom.
Daisy-type fs should be dried face down. Make an even base of sand
in the box and make a little dip in the sand the same shape as the f.
Hold the f steady and carefully build up the sand around the blossom
until it is fully covered.
Snapdragons, lilac, elongated fs and fing branches should
be positioned horizontally in the sand, fing branches face up. Carefully
pour the sand around and between the fs and into individual blooms.
A soft artists' brush will help you in lifting the blossoms slightly as
you pour the sand so that they won't be flattened by its weight.
When all the fs are completely covered with sand put the drying
box in your drying area and leave undisturbed for one to three weeks.
Removing the sand should be done very carefully, tipping the container
slightly, allowing the sand to flow slowly from one corner of the box.
As each f is released from the sand, lift it gently out.
If you wish to store your dried fs for later use, seal them in
airtight containers such as tins or plastic boxes sealed with masking
tape, or in sealed cardboard boxes enclosed in airtight plastic bags.
Sand Preserving Leaves:
Place the leaves in a pan and cover them with dry, hot sand. Allow this
to cool. Remove the leaves and smooth them with a hot iron. Dip them in
colorless varnish and let them dry.
Large leaves can be painted with aluminum or bronze paint. Dip them
into a clear plastic paint to set them firmly.
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Air Drying:
Air-drying can be very successful with herbs, everlastings and ornamental
grasses. Choose perfect plants with long stems, removing the leaves.
Put the fs in small bunches, fastening them together with an elastic
band; then open each bunch into a fan shape. Hang the fs head down
from nails in a dry, dark place for one to three weeks until they are
completely dry. The colors will usually be muted. Display your fs
in the house or store them as above.
This method works with roses as well.
Cut the stems off to the very bottom of the rose head, and carefully insert
a 6-8" length of wire. Hang upside down by bending the end of the wire
over a hanger and place in a dark dry closet where it won't be disturbed.
One hanger can accomodate several fs, just space them apart a bit.
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Drying With a Desiccant:
Another method of drying fs is to use a desiccant drying mixture
such as silica gel, borax, cornmeal or alum. The following recipe uses
a combination of silica and borax.
Simply mix a combination of four parts of borax to one part of silica
gel. You can make your mixture by hand; the borax should be run through
a sieve before mixing with the gel to remove any lumps.
You should treat all of the fs to be preserved immediately after
picking. Cut off the stems close to the base of the f. In the bottom
of a plastic bag or an air-tight jar put down a layer of the preserving
powder and lay a blossom face down on the powder. Pour some additional
powder over the f until it is well covered. Then lay another f
face down and cover it, repeating the procedure until the bag or jar is
full. Put on your lid, or if using a bag, press down on it lightly to
squeeze out all the air. Tie the bag tightly with string as close to the
contents as possible to prevent air from coming in.
Now put your fs and powder mixture away in a dry place for about
four weeks without peeking at it. Never store it out of doors.
At the end of the four weeks, open the container very gently and remove
the blossoms one at a time, blowing the powder off them. Now you have
preserved fs in their garden freshness.
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Glycerine Drying
This method keeps some fs soft and pliable for easier handling and
less shedding. Try this method with eucalyptus, baby’s breath and statice.
According to "Martha", this is the best way to preserve leaves.
You will need:
- Vegetable glycerine, (available at Pharmacies)
- Water
- A glass or enamel container large enough to hold the fs up
- A hammer
- Freshly cut fs or leaves
Mix 1 part vegetable glycerine to 2 parts hot tap water, using enough to
make the mixture about 2 inches deep.
Smash the bottom inch or two of the f stems to help them absorb
the glycerine quickly. (One or two whacks with the hammer is all you need.)
Place the f stems in the glycerine-water mixture, and leave 3 to
5 days so the fs can absorb the glycerine. (Baby’s breath can take
1 to 2 weeks, wait until the stems turn tan.) You can tell when the fs
have absorbed enough glycerine by the way they look and feel. A good way
to test if they are ready is to let one stem air dry and compare it to
the fs in the glycerin after a few days. If the air dried f
feels dry and the fs in the glycerine feel soft and look slightly
darker in color they're probably ready to be taken out of the glycerine
mixture.
Cut off the part of the stem that was setting in the glycerin. Allow
the fs to air dry for a week or so before storing. The glycerine/water
mixture can be reused several times.
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Waxing Flowers:
You may want to experiment with waxing fresh fs.
This too is simple; just melt some paraffin wax and plunge each individual
f into the wax. Remove and shake the excess wax off each f. Put
it into the refrigerator to set and harden.
Preserving Holly
I use a solution of 2 parts boiling water and 1 part glycerine plus plenty
of food coloring to maintain the green color. Immerse them in the solution.
Some greens uptake the solution and through the stems and some don't.
So it is best to imerse the whole stem if you are not sure. I think a
nice bath of the wax solution of (acrylic floor wax, 4 parts water to
1 part wax, with some color added) would be a nice finish to help lock
in the moisture, and give the leaves a nice shine.
Contributed by Nancy Plomaritis
TIPS!
Plan Ahead!
Handling dried fs must be done very carefully, as they tend to crumble
and fall apart. If possible, think ahead about what you will be doing
with the fs after they've dried. If you think you'll be using them
in a vase, you'll need long "stems". Insert the wire before you
dry the fs. They are much easier to handle when "live"
and pliable. If you decide you don't need "tall" fs later,
you can always cut the wire to the length you need.
Wrap 'em up
Unless your f arrangements are VERY thick, wire "stems"
will show through. Hide them by wrapping green or brown florist's tape
around the base of the f, stretching and overlapping as you move
down the wire until it's completely covered. You can also attach leaves
to the wire as you wrap, making for a very nice "natural" look.
For Ber Colors:
Rapid drying in a very warm, dry and bly-lit place will produce b
blossoms; s drying in a more humid spot will produce more muted colors.
After your fs have dried, spray lightly with a fixative. Some craft
stores carry products specifically for spraying and "fixing"
dried fs (try Design Master Super Surface Sealer). I have even painted
my dried fs. I've taken white and pink roses that had dried an ugly
muted yellow and painted the tips of the petals with a light coat of color,
using diluted acrylic paint or an antiquing wash
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