NATURAL DRYING - Gather a small bunch of flowers
(delphiniums, globe thistle, celosia, and
hydrangea are some examples), tie them together
and hang them upside down in a warm, dry, dark
area. For wide-headed flowers a box with a piece
of chicken wire on top can hold the flower heads
open while they dry (Queen Anne's Lace).
SILICA GEL - This material will dry the flower by
absorbing up to 40 percent of its weight in water.
It can be used in the oven or microwave. (Ageratum,
snapdragon, aster, calendula, cosmos, daisies, dahlia,
candytuft, bells of Ireland, are some good choices.)
FLOWER PRESS - These can be purchased at most
craft stores. In lieu of a flower press a heavy
thick catalog/book also works quite well.
BORAX - Make a mixture of 1 part borax and 1 part
cornmeal. Cover the bottom of a box (suit box is
a good size) with a thin layer of the mixture and
then place the flower face up. Sift on more of the
mixture and place the box in a dry dark place until
blooms are completely dehydrated. (Zinnia,
marigold, chrysanthemum, dahlia, Shasta daisy, etc.)
SAND - Small hardy flowers can be dried this way,
including small zinnias, marigolds, pansies and
pompom chrysanthemums. Sift fine, dry sand through
a flour sifter. Strip off all the foliage. Put a
couple of inches of dry sand in a box and hold
blossoms upside down on sand. Gently pour on sand
until the blossoms are covered. Stems need not be
covered. Place in the sun to bake. Flowers should
be dry in a day or two.
Common Flowers To Dry
Achillea (Yarrow)
Yellow varieties produce large, flat heads of
tiny blossoms on that that may be 3 feet tall.
Red and pink varieties are not as tall and have
smaller flowers. Harvest by cutting near the
base of the stem. Dry upright, suspended through
wire mesh or upside down. Low maintenance perennial.
Artemisia ("Silver King" or "Silver Queen")
These tall, branching perennials are used for
their gray-green foliage, which makes a beautiful
base for herb wreaths. Harvested before a hard
frost. At this stage it can be dried standing up.
For creating wreaths, artemisia should be used
while it is fresh and pliable.
Celosia (Plume Celosia)
Feathery plume celosia comes in a variety of vivid
colors ranging from pale cream and yellow through
deep, russet orange and from pale pink through
deep crimson. If the early annual flower plumes
are cut off, the plants will produce subsequent
crops of smaller heads on branching stems. To dry,
lay it on its side on a screen. Do not hang to dry.
Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)
An annual which comes in red, white, pink, and
rich red-purple. Pick individual stems as the
flowers mature. To dry, hang in bundles.
Gypsophila (Baby's Breath)
Great clouds of tiny white or pink blossoms turn
this perennial into a white shrub when it is in
full bloom. Since the plants often bloom in
sections, cut each stem when about three-fourths
of its flowers are fully opened, the rest still
in bud stage. Run a string through the lower
branches and hang each clump.
Helichrysum (Strawflower)
Probably the best known of all the annual
everlastings. Colors range from white and yellow
to orange and brown and all shades of pink and
red. Harvest by cutting each flower head
individually at its base. Place on wire stems by
pushing the end of a wire into the soft base
where the stem is cut, and dry by standing it
upright. As the flower dries, it closes tightly
around the wire.
Limonium (Statice)
This sturdy annual is available in beautiful shades
of blue and purple, as well as pink, white and
yellow. Perennial forms have tiny flowers in pale
lavender and white. Harvest entire stems when the
flowers are fully bloomed, but have not yet begun
to fade. They can be tied in clumps and either
hung or massed upright in vases to dry.
Anaphalis margaritacea (Pearly Everlasting)
This plant grows in some places as a common
roadside weed, if it is picked it often fails
to regenerate. Therefore it is better to buy
this plant from commercial growers. The small,
pure white flowers can be replaced with the
larger varieties of baby's breath for most uses.
Calluna vulgaris (Heather)
The pink spikes of tiny, bead-like flowers of
this plant dry easily and retain their color.
Hang heather upside down to dry.
Centaurea rutifolia or Senecio cineraria (Dusty Miller)
This gray foliage plant is usually purchased at
nurseries, and it grows easily. The thick, furry
leaves are almost white and have a delicate, lacy
cut edge. It can be dried easily by pressing
between sheets of paper.
Cortaderia argentia (Pampas Grass)
The tall white or pink plumes of this grass are
usually grown in clumps. The plumes are so large
that they frequently have to be broken into
small segments and wired to stems before using.
Daveus carota (Queen Anne's Lace)
This is a common weed and roadside flower with
large, flat, white blossoms. When dried, it umbels
close into a pale green cluster that is very
striking in arrangements. An easy way to dry Queen
Anne's Lace is to put a piece of chicken wire over
a box and drop the heads through the wires.
Filipendula hexapetala (Meadowsweet)
This roadside shrub has spikes of fluffy pink
flowers in the summer. Gather these and stand
or hang them to dry. They will darken as they
dry, but they make nice accents in arrangements.
Gnaphalium (Fairy Gold)
Also known as annual achillea (yarrow), this
low-growing plant has clusters of small,
bright yellow buttons.
Helipterum roseum, H. manglesii (African Daisy)
Two other names for the African Daisy are
Acrolinium and Rhodanthe. Its small, daisy
like flowers in pink and white have yellow
centers. It can be grown from seed or
nursery plants. The stems tend to be very
brittle, so they are usually replaced by
very thin florist wire.
Lavandula officinalis (Lavender)
This woody perennial herb has spikes of very
fragrant tiny purple blossoms. Dried on the
stem, lavender can be used in small
arrangements, but is most often used in potpourri.
Origanum vulgare (Marjoram)
The culinary herb, sweet marjoram, has pale and
insignificant blossoms but the wild, or "pot,"
marjoram grows taller and has deep rose to
purple blooms that dry beautifully. The stems
are sturdy, and the flowers may be dried
standing in a dry vase or basket.
Rosa rugosa, R. centifolia, R. multiflora (Roses)
The old June-blooming varieties are the kind most
often used for craft work, since they retain
their sweet fresh scent. Craft suppliers sell
small rosebuds for craft projects. They can also
be purchased fresh from florist suppliers. If
you are fortunate enough to obtain them, snip
them as closed buds, leaving about an inch of
stem attached. Dry them in the shade, scattered
on screens. Full-blown roses can be picked to dry
and the petals used for potpourri.
Solidago sempervirens (Goldenrod)
Abundant in vacant lots and fields throughout
much of North America, goldenrod should be
picked before it is in full bloom to keep the
heads from shattering as they dry.
Stachys olympica (Lamb's Ear)
Also called woolly betony, this is a perennial
that can be purchased from herb farms. The
large, oblong leaves are light gray-green,
soft, and furry. Rosettes of the leaves are
used on wreaths and in arrangements by
attaching them to florist picks while they are
still fresh and not yet brittle.
Tanacetum vulare (Tansy)
An old-fashioned garden perennial, tansy grows
wild, especially near the ocean. Its bright
yellow buttons grow in clusters on tall stems.
Pick them just before they are fully bloomed
and dry by hanging.
