Four Ways to Preserve (Dry) Flowers
Preserve a bit of your summer garden by drying a few flowers.
Most gardeners have gathered a few stems from their favorite flowers, removed the lower leaves and secured them into small bundles. Next step - hang them in a warm dry place. Bright yellow, orange, pink and blue flowers tend to preserve their colors best.
Clipping off the blooms and drying with silica gel is the best way to preserve flowers to look as good as they did in the garden. It also works well for delicate blooms. You’ll find this drying compound at craft stores.
Speed things up by drying your flowers in a microwave. Place 4 cups of cat litter in a microwave safe bowl. Carefully cover a single flower and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Gently brush off the litter and repeat until the whole bouquet has been dried.
Or allow your bouquet to dry naturally in the vase. This method works great with goldenrod, protea and even some roses.
A bit more information: Or press a few flowers between two layers of parchment paper or wax paper and place between the pages of a heavy book. Keep in mind, once pressed this is how your flowers will remain. More details on each method are available from Reader’s Digest at How to Dry Flowers.
Related
Audio
Audio
Categories
Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars
April 18, 2024
Be a Waterwise Gardener
Golden Rondelle Theater, Racine, WI
Register now
April 20, 2024
Pruning Hydrangeas and Other Shrubs
Pasquesi Home & Gardens, Lake Bluff, IL
April 27, 2024
Ridges & Rivers Book Festival
Viroqua, WI
April 28, 2024
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 1, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables
Register now
May 4, 2024
Garden U 2024
New Richmond, WI
Register now
May 9, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
How to Plant Your Rain Garden
Register now
May 11, 2024
Ask The Plant Doctor Q & A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 12, 2024
Ask The Plant Doctor Q & A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 18, 2024
Ask The Plant Doctor Q & A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
June 1, 2024
Selecting, Planting, Pruning and Caring for Hydrangeas
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
June 5, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
Under-Appreciated Pollinators
Register now
WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Learn More