Melinda's Garden Moment Radio Tips

Enjoy your garden’s beauty year round.  Harvest and dry a few flowers to use in flower arrangements, craft project or as gifts for friends and family.

Pick the flowers when they are at peak bloom.  I like to harvest flowers for drying mid day since they will have less moisture and are on their way to drying.

Use a pruner or scissors to cut stems.  Remove the foliage and place in small bundles.  I secure with rubber bands because as the stems shrink the rubber band contracts, still holding them tight.  Use a spring loaded clothespin to hang the bundles from a hanger, clothes line or nail.  Allow the flowers to dry in a warm dark location.

Flat faced flowers like Queen Anne’s Lace and daisies tend to close a bit when dried upside down.  I have had good luck drying them flat.  Simple cut off the stem and place the flowers face down on newspaper in a warm dry location.  Once dried you can glue them in place or use florist wire to create stems for arranging.

And, don’t forget to pick a few seedpods from perennials and ornamental grasses.  These have dried, for the most part, on the plants and make great additions to your dried flower arrangements and projects

A bit more information:  Take a trip to your local florist or craft store for more ideas and materials for drying delicate flowers.  I have used silica sand for iris, roses, mums and more.  Simply fill the bottom inch of a container with silica sand.  Remove all but an inch of the flower stem. Place the flower, stem side up or on its side, on the silica sand.  Gently pour silica sand over the flowers until completely covered.  Follow label directions.  My flowers looked just as beautiful when removed from the sand.