HOW TO DRY FRESH CUT FLOWERS

HOW TO DRY FRESH CUT FLOWERSYou can enjoy the freshness of a flower garden throughout theyear by cutting and drying your favorite flowers. The twoeasiest and least expensive methods are sand-drying andair-drying.Sand-drying can be used to dry a wide variety of flowers, suchas roses, tulips, dahlias, marigolds and snapdragons. Flowerswhich last only one day, like day lilies, do not dry well. Donot dry asters, azaleas, chrysanthemums, geraniums, petunias,phlox, pinks, poppies or violets. But feel free to do your ownexperimentation.To prepare for sand-drying, cut the flowers at the peak of theirshow as any imperfections will be exaggerated by drying. Pickthe flowers after the dew has fully evaporated. Make sure thestems are dry.Prepare the flowers by reinforcing the stems and blossoms withflorist's wire or with white glue. For daisy-type flowers andflowering shrubs, push a 6" piece of wire through the stem andright through the flower head; bend the end of the wire into ahook over the flower head and then pull it down, thus securingthe head to the stem.For flowers such as roses and tulips which are dried face-up,cut off most of the stem except an inch or so and insert thewire as above.For many-petaled flowers, use glue instead of wire. Dilutingthe white glue with a drip of water and using a toothpick, dab athin coat of glue at the base of each petal, working the glueinto the base of each flower to attach each petal to the base. Dry completely.To dry the flowers, slowly cover them with white sand in deep,open boxes. Cup-shaped or rose-shaped flowers should be driedface-up. Make the sand deep enough to hold the flowers in anupright position, position the flower carefully and slowly pourthe sand around the base of the flower, then around the sidesand under and over the petals. Pour the sand evenly and slowlyin order to preserve the natural shape of the blossom.Daisy-type flowers should be dried face down. Make an even baseof sand in the box and make a little dip in the sand the sameshape as the flower. Hold the flower steady and carefully buildup the sand around the blossom until it is fully covered.Snapdragons, lilac, elongated flowers and flowering branchesshould be positioned horizontally in the sand, floweringbranches face up. Carefully pour the sand around and betweenthe flowers and into individual blooms. A soft artists' brushwill help you in lifting the blossoms slightly as you pour thesand so that they won't be flattened by its weight.When all the flowers are completely covered with sand put thedrying box in your drying area and leave undisturbed for one tothree weeks. Rapid drying in a very warm, dry and brightly-litplace will produce bright blossoms; slower drying in a morehumid spot will produce more muted colors.Removing the sand should be done very carefully, tipping thecontainer slightly, allowing the sand to flow slowly from onecorner of the box. As each flower is released from the sand,lift it gently out.If you wish to store your dried flowers for later use, seal themin airtight containers such as tins or plastic boxes sealed withmasking tape, or in sealed cardboard boxes enclosed in airtightplastic bags.Air-drying can be very successful with herbs, everlastings andornamental grasses. Choose perfect plants with long stems,removing the lower leaves. Put the flowers in small bunches,fastening them together with an elastic band; then open eachbunch into a fan shape. Hang the flowers head down from nailsin a dry, dark place for one to three weeks until they arecompletely dry. The colors will usually be muted. Display yourflowers in the house or store them as above.You may want to experiment with waxing fresh flowers. This toois simple; just melt some paraffin wax and plunge eachindividual flower into the wax. Remove and shake the excess waxoff each flower. Put it into the refrigerator to set and harden.Having dried, preserved flowers in your home year-round canreally brighten it up. You may want to give dried flowerarrangements as Christmas gifts. It is a wonderful, satisfyinghobby to preserve your own flowers. You can also make lovelycards by pressing your flowers and covering them with clearmac-tac on a piece of construction paper. It's easy to do andlooks lovely.