What you dry is just as important as
how you dry it. The drying techniques described here work for all flowers.
Grow It and Dry It
You can experiment by drying ones you have in your garden.
Flowers that dry well are typically colorful, compact, strong-stemmed, and relatively low
in moisture content. Also, you don't need a field full of these flowers. Just three or
four plants of each type will yield enough stems for several dried arrangements. Plants
that you intend to dry don't need any special culture. Grow them according to instructions
on the seed packet.
Harvesting
Harvest flowers midmorning, as soon as morning dew dries.
Harvest stems just as the first flowers reach maturity. Don't wait too long. Flowers on
the upper stem area may be partially closed, but that's fine. The best time of day to cut
is midmorning, after the dew has dried but well before any flowers wilt. Dampness can lead
to mold and slows drying. If you live where the weather is often rainy, harvest when the
plants are dry even if it means cutting them a little early. Do not wait out the weather
and harvest damp or overmatured plants.
Take as much stem as possible, because you'll need long stems for bunching and for height
in the arrangements. All flowers should be dried with their natural stems; however, some
other flower heads grow on weak stems or stems that weaken as they dry. In that case, cut
the stem so that only an inch remains, then wire the flower head. Wire flowers before
drying them; after they're dried, they may shatter.
Its better to harvest more flowers than you may need. Many preserved flowers are fragile,
and you will undoubtedly lose a few in the drying and storing process.
If silica gel or other desiccant is used to dry flowers, its better to cut off all of the
stems, leaving only a small portion attached to each blossom. Drying whole stems requires
a large amount of desiccant and a large container to position long stems or large flower
heads like sunflowers correctly. In that case, air-dry the flower and then attach a wire
"stem" and wrap with florists' tape to camouflage the wire support.
Air-drying
Hang flowers upside down in a location with good air circulation.
This is the simplest and by far most popular way to preserve flowers. Air-drying flowers
requires cool, dry air. Choose the drying room carefully, and have it ready before
harvest. Avoid humid kitchens and bathrooms. Spare bedrooms or large closets make good
drying rooms, but hot attics and damp cellars generally do not. Garages and sheds are
tempting, but they offer less control over temperature and, sometimes, can be excessively
warm. Low light is fine, but not direct sunlight. The quicker the drying process,
the better.
With the exception of sunflowers, most commonly dried flowers are best air-dried in
inverted bunches. Make the bunches no thicker than 1 1/2 inches at the stems, and secure
them with a tight rubber band.
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How to Hang Flower Bunches
Suspend a 1/2-inch-diameter horizontal pole or pipe from the ceiling. If
fastening hooks into your ceiling or walls is not an option, use tripods or two
high-backed chairs to support the pole. A bent paper clip makes a perfect hanger for your
bunches. Put newspaper or a cloth on the floor under the hanging bunches to catch fallen
leaves, seeds, and petals. Hang bunches far enough apart to allow good air circulation.
How Long to Hang Flowers to Dry
The drying process takes from 10 to 20 days, depending on the plant. When dried,
the stems should |
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