Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Drying Flowers

Here are some guidelines for choosing the right flowers for drying:

Choose only your best flowers, since drying will emphasize imperfections. Look for cuts, marks and any blemishes and discard.

Pick late in the morning when plants are dry, but not wilted from the sun. Only the freshest flowers will look good.

Select flowers at different stages of development, from buds to fully open blossoms. Your arrangements will look more real and natural if you display stages of the flowers. Many flowers will open more as they dry.

If you cannot set up the drying of your flowers immediately, place the cut stems in a container of lukewarm water in a cool, dry place.

To air-dry, choose the flowers into a bouquet. Arrange the stems so that the flowers are not pressing against themselves. Secure with wire or string near the base. Hang them upside down in a cool, dry spot.

Silica gel is a sand particle which absorbs moisture out of the petals. Buy a bag at a hobby store. Directions should be included. This method works best with preserving only the flower head. It is placed in a container and the silica is gently sifted over the flowers, keeping the petals in a natural state. Seal and let dry for a couple weeks.

Besides displaying bouquets, the flowers can be used in wreathes depicting all four seasons. When not in use, drape loosely with plastic laundry bags and store as above.

Q. How do I dry my hydrangea flowers for use in the house this winter?

A. It has been my experience that hydrangeas will not dry when freshly flowering. For drying, the flower heads need to be of a "papery" consistency. This is usually towards fall before the first frost. Pick the leaves off the stem and turn them upside down. Hang them in a dark, warm place. Sometimes it helps to use a fan for air circulation. Store or arrange them in a dry place away from direct sunlight as this fades the color.

Allow me to delve deeper: There are 2 easy ways to preserve these blooms, and they both involve drying. One is simply to strip off the leaves and hang the blossoms, about six or seven together, in a cool, dry place. The other is to dry them with water. Just prepare a solution of 2 parts water to 1 part glycerin. You can find this at your local pharmacy. Now, the way this works is, as the water and glycerin are drawn up through the stem of the plant, the water evaporates through the petals, leaving the glycerin.

This makes the plant more supple to touch. It also preserves its color and shape. To help with the uptake of the solution, I cut the stems at a slight angle and crush the ends with a hammer before sliding them into a the vase. Both methods work with virtually every variety of hydrangea including the old-fashioned blue or pink. Remember, the best time to cut hydrangeas is when the petals begin to show a slight green color.