specifically sunflowers, zinnias, and calendula
Can i cut dry flowers to save the seeds for next year or should i wait until they die on the plant.?
wait till; they start to die on the plant then dead head them... i lay mine out to dry and then shake the seeds out in plastic bag... then label the bag keep in cool dry place until next year.. good luck!!
Reply:Let them dry on the plant, then collect. If seeds are collected while green they will not be viable.
Reply:I do this, with varied luck, I sometimes get a full lot and othertimes not so lucky, I also use lots more varieties than you have stipulated, but must say that it doesn't work for anything planted with a bulb or corm
good luck
Friday, November 18, 2011
How do you freeze dry flowers?
why would you do that???!!!
How do you freeze dry flowers?
with a freezer
Reply:http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/...
this website will tell you how to save flowers.
Reply:put them on trays in the freezer
Reply:You would have to buy a very large piece of equipment that is usually used in laboratories.
This is how it is done.
How does the process work? Freeze-drying is the only way that water can be successfully removed from an organic substance and many other materials without damage to the cell structure and loss of volatile components. This entails freezing the substance or item, thereby separating out the water as ice crystals, and then under vacuum, introducing controlled heat. This causes the ice to sublimate, slowly coming away as vapour, without actually melting. Eventually the ice will all have vaporised, leaving the material completely dry, resulting in the minimum of change to the cell structure, extra cellular matrix or chemical composition. The process also requires a condensing surface that is at a lower temperature than the material being dried for the vapour to migrate to. This is usually an area of the machine that is below -50°C and can be as low as -80°C. The vapour turns back to ice as it condenses on the colder surface and is not drawn into the vacuum pump.
Reply:get some liquid nitrogen, that will freeze a flower in about 5 seconds... but wear gloves when using it, it will freeze your fingers too.
mens leather boots
How do you freeze dry flowers?
with a freezer
Reply:http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/...
this website will tell you how to save flowers.
Reply:put them on trays in the freezer
Reply:You would have to buy a very large piece of equipment that is usually used in laboratories.
This is how it is done.
How does the process work? Freeze-drying is the only way that water can be successfully removed from an organic substance and many other materials without damage to the cell structure and loss of volatile components. This entails freezing the substance or item, thereby separating out the water as ice crystals, and then under vacuum, introducing controlled heat. This causes the ice to sublimate, slowly coming away as vapour, without actually melting. Eventually the ice will all have vaporised, leaving the material completely dry, resulting in the minimum of change to the cell structure, extra cellular matrix or chemical composition. The process also requires a condensing surface that is at a lower temperature than the material being dried for the vapour to migrate to. This is usually an area of the machine that is below -50°C and can be as low as -80°C. The vapour turns back to ice as it condenses on the colder surface and is not drawn into the vacuum pump.
Reply:get some liquid nitrogen, that will freeze a flower in about 5 seconds... but wear gloves when using it, it will freeze your fingers too.
mens leather boots
I want to use dry flowers and make a wallhanger.What can I use to keep the flowers from drying out completely?
You can go to a florist and pick up an aerosol can of silicon
Works nicely and keeps the color for a very very very long time
Also try laminating them.
Good luck!
I want to use dry flowers and make a wallhanger.What can I use to keep the flowers from drying out completely?
Use fresh flowers instead.
Works nicely and keeps the color for a very very very long time
Also try laminating them.
Good luck!
I want to use dry flowers and make a wallhanger.What can I use to keep the flowers from drying out completely?
Use fresh flowers instead.
How to dry flowers?
My mother in law was recently in the hospital and recieved alot of floral arrangements that she would like to preserve. I have absolutly no idea how to do this ! any ideas??
How to dry flowers?
Hanging flowers upside down is a tried and true way to preserve flowers but here are some other choices that are out there for you to choose from:
Here is a website with lots of tips and techniques in preserving flowers from using hairspray, microwave kits to kitty litter.
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/00/0012...
This is a flower preservation kit using bees wax. http://www.victorianbride.com/kits.asp\
Flower Preservation company: http://www.keepsakefloral.com/preservati...
Reply:i don't how?
Reply:take some tacks or nails..., and hang them upside down on the wall, and put the tack or nail through the end of the stem... leave it like that until the flower feels real dry... its quite simple actually...
Reply:Get them before they die and then hang them upside down...Really.
Reply:to dry a flower you must put the flower into the sun than you pack together
How to dry flowers?
Hanging flowers upside down is a tried and true way to preserve flowers but here are some other choices that are out there for you to choose from:
Here is a website with lots of tips and techniques in preserving flowers from using hairspray, microwave kits to kitty litter.
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/00/0012...
This is a flower preservation kit using bees wax. http://www.victorianbride.com/kits.asp\
Flower Preservation company: http://www.keepsakefloral.com/preservati...
Reply:i don't how?
Reply:take some tacks or nails..., and hang them upside down on the wall, and put the tack or nail through the end of the stem... leave it like that until the flower feels real dry... its quite simple actually...
Reply:Get them before they die and then hang them upside down...Really.
Reply:to dry a flower you must put the flower into the sun than you pack together
How do i preserve fresh cut flowers?
I want to dry fresh cut flowers for an arrangement. I need to know how this is done so they retain their color.
How do i preserve fresh cut flowers?
I found a very good site called gardenguides.com. They have very easy to follow instructions on how to dry flowers and keep their colors. Hope it helps.
Reply:There is a product on the market that you can get at just about any craft supply store called silica gel or silica sand that is used for preserving flowers.
Good Luck
How do i preserve fresh cut flowers?
I found a very good site called gardenguides.com. They have very easy to follow instructions on how to dry flowers and keep their colors. Hope it helps.
Reply:There is a product on the market that you can get at just about any craft supply store called silica gel or silica sand that is used for preserving flowers.
Good Luck
Anyone knows how to preserve/dry fresh flowers?
first boyfriend gave me a dozen of fresh white roses and i wanted to preserve it.anybody knows of any method?
Anyone knows how to preserve/dry fresh flowers?
Hang them upside down, that simple! My mom worked at a floral shop for more than 5 years, trust me, we have 6 or 7 hanging over the sink as I type, lol. GoodLuck!~LuvCarly
Reply:bury the flowers in silica gel in a container with no lid. put container in microwave with half cup water next to it. for roses between 2 and 3 minutes. let the silica cool before removing the roses.
Reply:Hang them upside down in an area that is dry, but sunny. In a couple of days they will be dried and preserved.
Reply:hang them upside down.
Reply:The best way to preserve it would either be to dry it out (by hanging it upside down), or put it in a dilute saline solution. There are of course other ways, but the two mentioned above would be the easiest.
Saline solution can be purchased at Home Depot or Savons/Walgreens/etc.
Reply:Because they are white, hanging them to dry will change the color to a rusty brown color. If you want the color to stay white, use either kitty litter or flower preservative (at the craft store) in a plastic container. Cover the flowers on all sides and leave it alone for about 10 days.
Reply:i usually turn them upside down to help them hold their form when drying out.
Reply:YOU COULD TAKE THEM OUTSIDE AND REPLANT THEM------MY AUNT TOOK HER DAUGHTERS WEDDING BOUQUET AND PLANTED THE 12 ROSES IN FRONT OF HER DAUGHTER'S NEW HOUSE AND THEY ALL CAME UP THE NEXT YEAR-----ASK ME IF SHE WAS HAPPY WITH 12 NEW ROSE BUSHES--IF YOU MUST DRY THEM YOU CAN PUT THEM INDIVIDUALLY INTO THE MICRO-WAVE ON LOW AND DRY THEM-----WATCH VERY CAREFULLY THEY MAY BURN---PUT THEM BETWEEN 2 PAPER TOWELS
AB
Reply:My boyfriend hangs them upside down in a cool place %26amp; you can also get silica sand %26amp; bury them in that.
Reply:hang them upside down by their stems to dry out. thats all i do. they will be very delicate so be careful not to break them once they are dry...i still have some roses from my husband from 12 years ago.
Reply:keep them in shade and watered and
coach fur boots
Anyone knows how to preserve/dry fresh flowers?
Hang them upside down, that simple! My mom worked at a floral shop for more than 5 years, trust me, we have 6 or 7 hanging over the sink as I type, lol. GoodLuck!~LuvCarly
Reply:bury the flowers in silica gel in a container with no lid. put container in microwave with half cup water next to it. for roses between 2 and 3 minutes. let the silica cool before removing the roses.
Reply:Hang them upside down in an area that is dry, but sunny. In a couple of days they will be dried and preserved.
Reply:hang them upside down.
Reply:The best way to preserve it would either be to dry it out (by hanging it upside down), or put it in a dilute saline solution. There are of course other ways, but the two mentioned above would be the easiest.
Saline solution can be purchased at Home Depot or Savons/Walgreens/etc.
Reply:Because they are white, hanging them to dry will change the color to a rusty brown color. If you want the color to stay white, use either kitty litter or flower preservative (at the craft store) in a plastic container. Cover the flowers on all sides and leave it alone for about 10 days.
Reply:i usually turn them upside down to help them hold their form when drying out.
Reply:YOU COULD TAKE THEM OUTSIDE AND REPLANT THEM------MY AUNT TOOK HER DAUGHTERS WEDDING BOUQUET AND PLANTED THE 12 ROSES IN FRONT OF HER DAUGHTER'S NEW HOUSE AND THEY ALL CAME UP THE NEXT YEAR-----ASK ME IF SHE WAS HAPPY WITH 12 NEW ROSE BUSHES--IF YOU MUST DRY THEM YOU CAN PUT THEM INDIVIDUALLY INTO THE MICRO-WAVE ON LOW AND DRY THEM-----WATCH VERY CAREFULLY THEY MAY BURN---PUT THEM BETWEEN 2 PAPER TOWELS
AB
Reply:My boyfriend hangs them upside down in a cool place %26amp; you can also get silica sand %26amp; bury them in that.
Reply:hang them upside down by their stems to dry out. thats all i do. they will be very delicate so be careful not to break them once they are dry...i still have some roses from my husband from 12 years ago.
Reply:keep them in shade and watered and
coach fur boots
When is the best time to water flowers during a dry spell?
Temp. has been from 80 to 95. We have had no rain. I want my flowers to look their best because we are trying to sell the house. Should I keep them watered all day. or should i water at certain times. I have wild flowers, perinials.
When is the best time to water flowers during a dry spell?
Morning is the best time, If it is really hot out, then remove the hose nozzle and flood the ground around the plants in the day time to help the plants stay cool. as the water evaporates it will pull heat out of the ground and help to take the stress off the plants.
Reply:95 degrees would be considered a 'cooldown' for my area, but my flowers/plants wouldn't know the difference.
In the evening, soak the ground slowly by placing the hose (no nozzels) in line of the plants with the water barely on. After about a half hour or so, go back and re-water with the nozzel on the hose, about mediumn water pressure, to wash off any dust/dirt on the leaves/flowers.
Even with triple digit temps, this works great when done every 3 days; it keeps the deeper dirt near the roots moist at all times.
Reply:Put the sprinkler on them in the evening and water well.I would water every other day for best results....
Reply:Watter late in the afternoon or evening as the sun and heat
will evaporate the water faster in the day. Too little watter is
worse than no water. It causes the roots to come to the top
of the ground seeking water. Watter slow so the watter will
soak deep into the ground. One really good soaking a week
should do the job unless your soil is really sandy.
Hope that helps.
Reply:Before the sun rises or after the sun has set or is setting
Reply:early inthe morning say 5am
Reply:Early in the morning is probably the best time (right after sunrise) or at sunset.You sholudn't water when the sun is on the plants.Once or twice a day is plenty.I have always done it this way and have had great sucess.
Reply:early morning... the logic being that then they will have available, what they need , to get thru the heat of the day....doesn't do them much good to be stressed all day in heat and needing water and have to wait until you decide to go out and water around six pm..... stress, especially water stress is what makes plants, especially annuals, look ratty and weary......
watering after sundown leaves too much water at the surface, and ups the humidity... and that's a prime breeding ground for fungus and mildew and other plant disease...it's liable to get plants like lilac and beebalm, etc, but especially on lawns, it's not a good idea to water too late.....you want the lawn and plants, too, to have time to dry off before the sun goes down....
Reply:My grandma told me to water in the morning or the evening. It didn't matter which one as long as the sun wasn't beating down on them. If you water with the sun beating down on them she said that it would burn them up!
Reply:Water them in the Early AM. You can also buy some crystals that will absorb water and disperse the the water as needed. This will ensure that your flowers get the proper amount of water needed to flourish. Remember it is all about that first 5 seconds that a buyer makes a decision whether they like your home or if they dont. Good Luck!!! Foracleanhome.com
Reply:The best time to water your flowers is in the morning. If that's not possible later in the afternoon around the time one gets home from work is the 2nd best alternative. The key is to give the water time to evaporate so that it is not on the foliage during the evening hours. That's when you run into trouble with plants. I'm watering daily when the temperature gets above 85F and there's no rain. Most plants tend to stress at about that temperature. Well rooted perennials will should take it a little better than annuals, but if you're trying to have your yard look it's best, keep them well watered this time of year. Depending on the size of the plant, I will water a 10 - 30 count per plant. I live in Central Michigan, where it's hot and humid this time of year. This may be different where you are.
Hope this helps and good luck selling your house!
When is the best time to water flowers during a dry spell?
Morning is the best time, If it is really hot out, then remove the hose nozzle and flood the ground around the plants in the day time to help the plants stay cool. as the water evaporates it will pull heat out of the ground and help to take the stress off the plants.
Reply:95 degrees would be considered a 'cooldown' for my area, but my flowers/plants wouldn't know the difference.
In the evening, soak the ground slowly by placing the hose (no nozzels) in line of the plants with the water barely on. After about a half hour or so, go back and re-water with the nozzel on the hose, about mediumn water pressure, to wash off any dust/dirt on the leaves/flowers.
Even with triple digit temps, this works great when done every 3 days; it keeps the deeper dirt near the roots moist at all times.
Reply:Put the sprinkler on them in the evening and water well.I would water every other day for best results....
Reply:Watter late in the afternoon or evening as the sun and heat
will evaporate the water faster in the day. Too little watter is
worse than no water. It causes the roots to come to the top
of the ground seeking water. Watter slow so the watter will
soak deep into the ground. One really good soaking a week
should do the job unless your soil is really sandy.
Hope that helps.
Reply:Before the sun rises or after the sun has set or is setting
Reply:early inthe morning say 5am
Reply:Early in the morning is probably the best time (right after sunrise) or at sunset.You sholudn't water when the sun is on the plants.Once or twice a day is plenty.I have always done it this way and have had great sucess.
Reply:early morning... the logic being that then they will have available, what they need , to get thru the heat of the day....doesn't do them much good to be stressed all day in heat and needing water and have to wait until you decide to go out and water around six pm..... stress, especially water stress is what makes plants, especially annuals, look ratty and weary......
watering after sundown leaves too much water at the surface, and ups the humidity... and that's a prime breeding ground for fungus and mildew and other plant disease...it's liable to get plants like lilac and beebalm, etc, but especially on lawns, it's not a good idea to water too late.....you want the lawn and plants, too, to have time to dry off before the sun goes down....
Reply:My grandma told me to water in the morning or the evening. It didn't matter which one as long as the sun wasn't beating down on them. If you water with the sun beating down on them she said that it would burn them up!
Reply:Water them in the Early AM. You can also buy some crystals that will absorb water and disperse the the water as needed. This will ensure that your flowers get the proper amount of water needed to flourish. Remember it is all about that first 5 seconds that a buyer makes a decision whether they like your home or if they dont. Good Luck!!! Foracleanhome.com
Reply:The best time to water your flowers is in the morning. If that's not possible later in the afternoon around the time one gets home from work is the 2nd best alternative. The key is to give the water time to evaporate so that it is not on the foliage during the evening hours. That's when you run into trouble with plants. I'm watering daily when the temperature gets above 85F and there's no rain. Most plants tend to stress at about that temperature. Well rooted perennials will should take it a little better than annuals, but if you're trying to have your yard look it's best, keep them well watered this time of year. Depending on the size of the plant, I will water a 10 - 30 count per plant. I live in Central Michigan, where it's hot and humid this time of year. This may be different where you are.
Hope this helps and good luck selling your house!
Where do you find the bird of paradise seed? I opened several spent flowers and found none. Help!?
I would love to start one from seed, and I do know that they can take up to 5 years to flower this way. I just can't seem to find any seeds on my plant. I need specifics, like how dry the flower should be, where exactly they should be located, etc. I'd appreciate any help.
Where do you find the bird of paradise seed? I opened several spent flowers and found none. Help!?
You flowers are most likely not getting pollinated , therefore no seeds are forming. Even the experts have trouble getting seeds even with hand-pollinating. And odds of success seem to increase if you have a second plant to cross-pollinate with. Because of these difficulties, most propagation is done by rhizome division instead.
Reply:google it all the info you want would be on there.
Where do you find the bird of paradise seed? I opened several spent flowers and found none. Help!?
You flowers are most likely not getting pollinated , therefore no seeds are forming. Even the experts have trouble getting seeds even with hand-pollinating. And odds of success seem to increase if you have a second plant to cross-pollinate with. Because of these difficulties, most propagation is done by rhizome division instead.
Reply:google it all the info you want would be on there.
What flowers take shade and hot sun in dry area?
My flower bed is shaded in the AM and then gets the hot sun in the afternoon. The overhang from the house prevents the rain from really soaking the area when it rains and to water the plants I have to carry the water. (no outside water source) I need some type of flowers that can tolerate some dry conditions and the hot afternoon sun. Oh- I live in the Ft.Wayne, Indiana area.
What flowers take shade and hot sun in dry area?
Try herbs. They love to be hot and baked. Lavender, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary and Hyssop will all grow well.
Reply:Sounds like blooming cactus is your best option. Even though your flower bed gets morning shade, you need to consider plant for the area to be "full sun." Two to three inches of mulch on top of the bed and around the plants helps keep in the moisture, as well as mixing in some potting soil that helps retain moisture.
Make sure to buy plants for the "zone" you live in. Here's a link with that information, as well as plant groupings for different zones, sun, shade, etc. This company has already done the work for you so it's easy! There are taller plants for the back and heights of plants that tier lower toward the front of the flower bed. You'll also be able to see what plants flower and bloom and what plants are just great coloring foliage. Happy gardening!
Reply:Any kind of sedum would work great there. They will take a beating and still keeping coming back every year. Plus they now come in many colors.
http://images.google.com/images?q=sedum
Some other plants that can take hot and dry are: Salvia, Agastache, Penstemon, Yarrow (can be invasive), catmint (also can be invasive), Coreopsis, atremisia, butterfly weed, and poppy mallow (spreads).
Reply:If you check with yor local Gardening supply shop they will be more than helpful in telling you which plants like sun and which like shade. I have a similar spot in my yard and I have a hydrangea and a poppy that do well there. Also if you want alot of color, impatiens do well in shaded areas.
Good Luck!! Kathy PS%26gt; I live in Vermont
What flowers take shade and hot sun in dry area?
Try herbs. They love to be hot and baked. Lavender, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary and Hyssop will all grow well.
Reply:Sounds like blooming cactus is your best option. Even though your flower bed gets morning shade, you need to consider plant for the area to be "full sun." Two to three inches of mulch on top of the bed and around the plants helps keep in the moisture, as well as mixing in some potting soil that helps retain moisture.
Make sure to buy plants for the "zone" you live in. Here's a link with that information, as well as plant groupings for different zones, sun, shade, etc. This company has already done the work for you so it's easy! There are taller plants for the back and heights of plants that tier lower toward the front of the flower bed. You'll also be able to see what plants flower and bloom and what plants are just great coloring foliage. Happy gardening!
Reply:Any kind of sedum would work great there. They will take a beating and still keeping coming back every year. Plus they now come in many colors.
http://images.google.com/images?q=sedum
Some other plants that can take hot and dry are: Salvia, Agastache, Penstemon, Yarrow (can be invasive), catmint (also can be invasive), Coreopsis, atremisia, butterfly weed, and poppy mallow (spreads).
Reply:If you check with yor local Gardening supply shop they will be more than helpful in telling you which plants like sun and which like shade. I have a similar spot in my yard and I have a hydrangea and a poppy that do well there. Also if you want alot of color, impatiens do well in shaded areas.
Good Luck!! Kathy PS%26gt; I live in Vermont
The leaves on my tomato plants are drying up and the flowers are drying too. What could be the problem?
I planted them 4 weeks ago and they are about 80cm tall. I have done nothing to them since i planted them except tying them up and watering them. I have kept them v.well watered. I am wonderin if i have overwatered them? They have only started wilting in the last 2 days.
The leaves on my tomato plants are drying up and the flowers are drying too. What could be the problem?
over watering will cause them to yellow and go limp like an old banana. Tomatoes are a hot weather sun loving plant.
If its been cloudy or below 90 degrees they dont require as much water. dont love your plants to death, let nature do its thing....... hows the soil ph?
Reply:I think you have most probaley over watered. If I was you let them dry out for a couple of days.
The weather has been a bit cold for them but now the weather is warming up .They might just be ok.
Good Luck.
Are they outside or in a greenhouse
Reply:you are watering it from the house . stop it . if you dont have a well to water it then build a border around the area and flood it once a week . the chlorine and the fluoride is killing your plants do not spray the leaves with it .
Reply:you are over watering it. what type of nutrients are you using, and did you plant it from seed. you didnot mention if its getting good sun
http://gardening-tips-idea.com/Tomato-ga...
Reply:they are maybe eaten by insects in the earth. (leatherjackets eat the plant from below, so they fall and will be dead
Reply:give them some miracle grow plant food
Reply:well their bloody snuffing it arent they aint it obviouse?
wide children shoes
The leaves on my tomato plants are drying up and the flowers are drying too. What could be the problem?
over watering will cause them to yellow and go limp like an old banana. Tomatoes are a hot weather sun loving plant.
If its been cloudy or below 90 degrees they dont require as much water. dont love your plants to death, let nature do its thing....... hows the soil ph?
Reply:I think you have most probaley over watered. If I was you let them dry out for a couple of days.
The weather has been a bit cold for them but now the weather is warming up .They might just be ok.
Good Luck.
Are they outside or in a greenhouse
Reply:you are watering it from the house . stop it . if you dont have a well to water it then build a border around the area and flood it once a week . the chlorine and the fluoride is killing your plants do not spray the leaves with it .
Reply:you are over watering it. what type of nutrients are you using, and did you plant it from seed. you didnot mention if its getting good sun
http://gardening-tips-idea.com/Tomato-ga...
Reply:they are maybe eaten by insects in the earth. (leatherjackets eat the plant from below, so they fall and will be dead
Reply:give them some miracle grow plant food
Reply:well their bloody snuffing it arent they aint it obviouse?
wide children shoes
Hi, iwould like to put a dried flower in a candle so its visible from the outside but how? please help!?
Press the flower between 2 sheets of wax paper press it into the wax. dip the candle a few more times to create a protective coating.
Hi, iwould like to put a dried flower in a candle so its visible from the outside but how? please help!?
paint the flower with some of the melted wax and stick to the mold then pour the candle
What do you do after you dry out flowers for awhile...?
Okiee dokiee, well my boyfriend gave me roses for valentines day, and so then I hungthem upside down for like a few months, because my brothers' fiance has not been over so, I don't know what to do next! They were hanging upside for about 2 months, and now I finally brought them in my room. Do i need to spray them? Can I put them right side up? Please help! Thank you! Will pick best answer!
What do you do after you dry out flowers for awhile...?
Yes, I'm sure your roses are perfectly dried by now and ready to be displayed however you want. Some people do spray with a thin coat of clear coat or even hairspray, but I never have and I ve had them last for many years. I even took one bunch along when I moved and they just lost a few petals. Do whatever you like and enjoy!
Reply:Dried out and dead roses . just a shell of what they used to be. Toss `em in the garbage and get some fresh ones. How long do you need to hang on to a memory?
Reply:If you like the sight of dried roses (I don't), you need do nothing more after they are dried out. You can stick them in a vase and wait till they turn to dust.
Reply:When somebody gave me a rose I used to put weights on it like books to pressed it so I can put it in my photo album in 2mos or so
What do you do after you dry out flowers for awhile...?
Yes, I'm sure your roses are perfectly dried by now and ready to be displayed however you want. Some people do spray with a thin coat of clear coat or even hairspray, but I never have and I ve had them last for many years. I even took one bunch along when I moved and they just lost a few petals. Do whatever you like and enjoy!
Reply:Dried out and dead roses . just a shell of what they used to be. Toss `em in the garbage and get some fresh ones. How long do you need to hang on to a memory?
Reply:If you like the sight of dried roses (I don't), you need do nothing more after they are dried out. You can stick them in a vase and wait till they turn to dust.
Reply:When somebody gave me a rose I used to put weights on it like books to pressed it so I can put it in my photo album in 2mos or so
Quickest way to dry flowers??
I picked a few petals from a wilting rose outside, and I want to use them for a project, but they need to be dry soon. What is the quickest way to do this?
Quickest way to dry flowers??
lay them on a screen where air can circulate all around the petals.Next time cut the whole head off the rose and dry upside down in a warm breeezy area, within a few days it is almost completely dry!
Reply:use silica gel. you know that stuff that comes in a new pair of shoes? put some in a ziplock bag along with the petals and they should dry out pretty quick.
Reply:Food dehydrator if you have one or know someone who does.
soft leather baby shoes
Quickest way to dry flowers??
lay them on a screen where air can circulate all around the petals.Next time cut the whole head off the rose and dry upside down in a warm breeezy area, within a few days it is almost completely dry!
Reply:use silica gel. you know that stuff that comes in a new pair of shoes? put some in a ziplock bag along with the petals and they should dry out pretty quick.
Reply:Food dehydrator if you have one or know someone who does.
soft leather baby shoes
Where can I buy dried marigold flower meal as a feed supplement for my chickens?
I need to find a vendor or distributor in the USA prefereably MO, of bulk aztec/mexican marigold meal for darkening the egg yolks of my chicken eggs. Not looking for small exspensive packets for human consumption. thanks , Jo
Where can I buy dried marigold flower meal as a feed supplement for my chickens?
Any large Feed Distributor and Store.
Where can I buy dried marigold flower meal as a feed supplement for my chickens?
Any large Feed Distributor and Store.
What can I do to preserve or dry my flowers that I recieved for Mother's Day?
I think they are beautiful and would love to keep their color intacked. I don't live very close to a store so anything natural or done with something that I may have already at home would be great. Thank You
What can I do to preserve or dry my flowers that I recieved for Mother's Day?
Try pressing the flowers between the pages of a book. The place a few more on top so that there is a weight on top. After a week or two the flowers should be dry :)
Reply:spray them with hairspray and then let them dry
Reply:Someone told me to wrap my wedding flowers at the bottom tight in ribbon and hang them upside down. I think I also heard hairspray???
Reply:you could put them inside a book
What can I do to preserve or dry my flowers that I recieved for Mother's Day?
Try pressing the flowers between the pages of a book. The place a few more on top so that there is a weight on top. After a week or two the flowers should be dry :)
Reply:spray them with hairspray and then let them dry
Reply:Someone told me to wrap my wedding flowers at the bottom tight in ribbon and hang them upside down. I think I also heard hairspray???
Reply:you could put them inside a book
I want to make a wreath out of flowers from my nieces wedding?
the flowers are dried but i dont know what the next step is???
I want to make a wreath out of flowers from my nieces wedding?
check out Michaels Arts and Crafts. They have a lot of in store teaching sessions on just how to do things like this. You can find a store near you online and check out their class schedule, as well as just learn online at: http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displ...
Good luck
Reply:buying wire and floral tape are your next steps. You can go to a Michael's or JoAnn Fabrics for how-to books. If you wanted to buy a grapevine wreath you could decorate it with the dried flowers and a glue gun. It depends on how involved you want it to be. I know the the closer the wedding approaches the more hectic your life will be.
I want to make a wreath out of flowers from my nieces wedding?
check out Michaels Arts and Crafts. They have a lot of in store teaching sessions on just how to do things like this. You can find a store near you online and check out their class schedule, as well as just learn online at: http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displ...
Good luck
Reply:buying wire and floral tape are your next steps. You can go to a Michael's or JoAnn Fabrics for how-to books. If you wanted to buy a grapevine wreath you could decorate it with the dried flowers and a glue gun. It depends on how involved you want it to be. I know the the closer the wedding approaches the more hectic your life will be.
What kind of fertilizer should i use , my soil is hard & dry ny flowers don't do very well?
my flowers don't do so well, Just need to know the best fertilizer to use to help the soil....... i love in Pennsylvania..
What kind of fertilizer should i use , my soil is hard %26amp; dry ny flowers don't do very well?
break the soil up and add some peat moss and a bag of mushroom manure...the moss will help the soil retain water
Reply:If your soil is hard and dry you might not need fertilizer, but some organic matter instead (which will add nutrients at the same time) most garden or home stores sell bags of "humus" (decaying plant matter). The next best thing will be "peat moss" and then "top soil". The peat moss is also humus but only one type of type of plant matter. The top soil will have a fair amount of humus in it but also some plain old dirt...which you seem to have plenty of.
Reply:Peat moss (which is not a fertilizer) and dehydrated manure or compost. If possible, till this in deeply (4 to 6 inches).
Greensand is also useful, but it seems expensive.
Regular sand can sometimes help, but if you have clayey soil and simply add sand, you often wind up with a worse mixture that gets almost like concrete.
I would say of all of the above, based on your description of your situation, adding some peat moss will definitely help and is the first thing you should do. Peat moss is not a fertilizer, and plants will not grow in plain peat moss, but it does condition the soil, aerates it, and improves its water capacity.
Finally, when the above is done, you can mix in some Espoma plant tone, which is an organic fertilizer.
mobile
What kind of fertilizer should i use , my soil is hard %26amp; dry ny flowers don't do very well?
break the soil up and add some peat moss and a bag of mushroom manure...the moss will help the soil retain water
Reply:If your soil is hard and dry you might not need fertilizer, but some organic matter instead (which will add nutrients at the same time) most garden or home stores sell bags of "humus" (decaying plant matter). The next best thing will be "peat moss" and then "top soil". The peat moss is also humus but only one type of type of plant matter. The top soil will have a fair amount of humus in it but also some plain old dirt...which you seem to have plenty of.
Reply:Peat moss (which is not a fertilizer) and dehydrated manure or compost. If possible, till this in deeply (4 to 6 inches).
Greensand is also useful, but it seems expensive.
Regular sand can sometimes help, but if you have clayey soil and simply add sand, you often wind up with a worse mixture that gets almost like concrete.
I would say of all of the above, based on your description of your situation, adding some peat moss will definitely help and is the first thing you should do. Peat moss is not a fertilizer, and plants will not grow in plain peat moss, but it does condition the soil, aerates it, and improves its water capacity.
Finally, when the above is done, you can mix in some Espoma plant tone, which is an organic fertilizer.
mobile
What kind of fertilizer should i use , my soil is hard & dry my flowers don't do very well?
my flowers don't do so well, Just need to know the best fertilizer to use to help the soil....... i live in Pennsylvania..
What kind of fertilizer should i use , my soil is hard %26amp; dry my flowers don't do very well?
Peat moss (which is not a fertilizer) and dehydrated manure or compost. If possible, till this in deeply (4 to 6 inches).
Greensand is also useful, but it seems expensive.
Regular sand can sometimes help, but if you have clayey soil and simply add sand, you often wind up with a worse mixture that gets almost like concrete.
I would say of all of the above, based on your description of your situation, adding some peat moss will definitely help and is the first thing you should do. Peat moss is not a fertilizer, and plants will not grow in plain peat moss, but it does condition the soil, aerates it, and improves its water capacity.
Reply:No matter where you live or what type of soil you have, adding organic material to it w/ help the tilthe.
You can make compost (veggie matter = old clippings of anything but roses, weeds, leaves, etc. added to a nitorgen source... coffee grounds from your local ocffee house are great for this, you odn't need manure! Starbucks is a great place to get grounds, they have a corp sponsered program. My local store had trouble remembering to save them till offered to contact corpHQ to see if there were training materials that could be sent. ]:) )
Or you can jsut lay the material on the ground around the plant as mulch. (Mulch is NOT a fire hazard! It w/ actually put out a small fire! I have pix of a cigarette that went out on my mulch.) The eathworms will come up and take bites of the mulch back down into the soil. It takes time, but it works best.
If you use chems (fertilizer, herbaside or insectaside) you kill the microbes in your soil that keep it healthy %26amp; end up w/ hard packed soil that nothing can grow in. Using even just a little cides harms your soil %26amp; affects your plant health.
Reply:Decomposed (shredded) leaves are a great soil mix-in- cheap, too- check with your county, many counties give away the leaves they collect in the fall. It sounds like the problem is not so much lack of nutrients in the soil (that's when you need fertilizer) as compacted soil that's low in water-retaining, fluffy organic matter, which prevents the plants from being able to grow as easily as they want to...
If you can't get leaves, peat moss can be used, but peat moss is a dwindling resource- mined from peat bogs- and best used sparingly, particularly when there's a renewable resource available...
Reply:It does depend on where in PA you live, but I bet you have a lot of clay in your soil. My mum in law lives in Bedford county, and has that problem. You can use any kind of manure for fertilizer, but you should also seriously consider using peat moss to mix in with the soil, and as a mulch. It will break down and provide lift to your soil. In the spring before planting, you should lay down the peat moss and till it deeply into your soil, for best results.
Reply:you can try Lime to break up the soil and balance it.
Reply:You probably have a lot of clay in your soil. If you have clay soil, putting some gypsum on the soil should help. I recommend adding some organic matter to the soil such as compost or manure and that should also greatly help. You may also want to check the pH of your soil checked along with the make-up of your soil checked. Clay will hold a lot of nutrients, but I imagine you have little to no topsoil. The fertilizer mainly depends on what you plant. Most any flower fertilizer will work for your flowers, they just need fertilized to add the nutrients. My recommendations:
1. Add organic matter
2. Add gypsum if you have clay ground
3. Add flower fertilizer
4. Check the pH and add lime if necessary
Reply:take samples from various places in your yard and take them to your local extension service. they will test and advise best cute for soil. maybe a slight charge. 5 or 10 bucks. they will also come to your property and inspect your trees. good luck
What kind of fertilizer should i use , my soil is hard %26amp; dry my flowers don't do very well?
Peat moss (which is not a fertilizer) and dehydrated manure or compost. If possible, till this in deeply (4 to 6 inches).
Greensand is also useful, but it seems expensive.
Regular sand can sometimes help, but if you have clayey soil and simply add sand, you often wind up with a worse mixture that gets almost like concrete.
I would say of all of the above, based on your description of your situation, adding some peat moss will definitely help and is the first thing you should do. Peat moss is not a fertilizer, and plants will not grow in plain peat moss, but it does condition the soil, aerates it, and improves its water capacity.
Reply:No matter where you live or what type of soil you have, adding organic material to it w/ help the tilthe.
You can make compost (veggie matter = old clippings of anything but roses, weeds, leaves, etc. added to a nitorgen source... coffee grounds from your local ocffee house are great for this, you odn't need manure! Starbucks is a great place to get grounds, they have a corp sponsered program. My local store had trouble remembering to save them till offered to contact corpHQ to see if there were training materials that could be sent. ]:) )
Or you can jsut lay the material on the ground around the plant as mulch. (Mulch is NOT a fire hazard! It w/ actually put out a small fire! I have pix of a cigarette that went out on my mulch.) The eathworms will come up and take bites of the mulch back down into the soil. It takes time, but it works best.
If you use chems (fertilizer, herbaside or insectaside) you kill the microbes in your soil that keep it healthy %26amp; end up w/ hard packed soil that nothing can grow in. Using even just a little cides harms your soil %26amp; affects your plant health.
Reply:Decomposed (shredded) leaves are a great soil mix-in- cheap, too- check with your county, many counties give away the leaves they collect in the fall. It sounds like the problem is not so much lack of nutrients in the soil (that's when you need fertilizer) as compacted soil that's low in water-retaining, fluffy organic matter, which prevents the plants from being able to grow as easily as they want to...
If you can't get leaves, peat moss can be used, but peat moss is a dwindling resource- mined from peat bogs- and best used sparingly, particularly when there's a renewable resource available...
Reply:It does depend on where in PA you live, but I bet you have a lot of clay in your soil. My mum in law lives in Bedford county, and has that problem. You can use any kind of manure for fertilizer, but you should also seriously consider using peat moss to mix in with the soil, and as a mulch. It will break down and provide lift to your soil. In the spring before planting, you should lay down the peat moss and till it deeply into your soil, for best results.
Reply:you can try Lime to break up the soil and balance it.
Reply:You probably have a lot of clay in your soil. If you have clay soil, putting some gypsum on the soil should help. I recommend adding some organic matter to the soil such as compost or manure and that should also greatly help. You may also want to check the pH of your soil checked along with the make-up of your soil checked. Clay will hold a lot of nutrients, but I imagine you have little to no topsoil. The fertilizer mainly depends on what you plant. Most any flower fertilizer will work for your flowers, they just need fertilized to add the nutrients. My recommendations:
1. Add organic matter
2. Add gypsum if you have clay ground
3. Add flower fertilizer
4. Check the pH and add lime if necessary
Reply:take samples from various places in your yard and take them to your local extension service. they will test and advise best cute for soil. maybe a slight charge. 5 or 10 bucks. they will also come to your property and inspect your trees. good luck
Drying real flowers?
any advice for drying flowers - I know you are supposed to hand them upside down and put them somewhere warm but any other tips please
I have some lovely roses that i want to dry - I heard you can use a microwave too but I am clueless as what to do
thanks
Drying real flowers?
yes dry them hanging upside down in a cool place. I saw a neat thing in a magazine. They used those pants hangers, the kind that opens up to hang the flowers from.
Reply:Ever by something and it has these little packets that resemble salt packs? those packets contain silica granules to absorb moister. Silica is used to dry flowers and does a great job. It is very expensive to buy but can be used over and over again. It can be sprinkled into evey little part and your flowers will look like the day you got them only a bit faded in color. This stuff is poisonous to humans and animals if ingested.
Reply:Just take a pants hanger with the clips and clip the roses to it, plus some babies breath if you have it, it should dry in a few days, you can spray with hair spray. Wrap with wire or a bread twist tie and hang on a nail, after you decorate with your favorite color ribbon.
Reply:hang them upside down in a dark cool place out of direct sunlight (which will bleach the petals).
Another thing you can try is putting them in an airtight plastic container with silica granules (the water retention polymers). After about a week the silica will absorb the moisture from the flowers!
Reply:I always hang my flowers upside down to dry. Roses usually
take about 3 to 4 weeks to dry. I make sure they're nice and
crispy before I create a potpourri mix with them. It's such a beautiful craft. Here's a pretty dried Rose Potpourri Mix:
3 TBS rose petals
2 TBS chamomile
1 TBS coriander
1 TBS lavender
1 tsp. cinnamon chips
1/2 vanilla bean chopped
3 TBS orris root
You can even add a mix of Rose, Cinnamon %26amp; Vanilla
essential oils to the dry mix and put it into a sachet pouch or
simmer it in a potpourri cooker. Enjoy! :)
Reply:The best way to dry real flowers is to dry them in sand.You put fine river sand in a basin or shallow container, put rose on top, and then cover flowers with sand. Put away somewhere warm and dark, for several weeks.I have never heard of using a Microwave. I think they would come out brittle.Good Luck!
I have some lovely roses that i want to dry - I heard you can use a microwave too but I am clueless as what to do
thanks
Drying real flowers?
yes dry them hanging upside down in a cool place. I saw a neat thing in a magazine. They used those pants hangers, the kind that opens up to hang the flowers from.
Reply:Ever by something and it has these little packets that resemble salt packs? those packets contain silica granules to absorb moister. Silica is used to dry flowers and does a great job. It is very expensive to buy but can be used over and over again. It can be sprinkled into evey little part and your flowers will look like the day you got them only a bit faded in color. This stuff is poisonous to humans and animals if ingested.
Reply:Just take a pants hanger with the clips and clip the roses to it, plus some babies breath if you have it, it should dry in a few days, you can spray with hair spray. Wrap with wire or a bread twist tie and hang on a nail, after you decorate with your favorite color ribbon.
Reply:hang them upside down in a dark cool place out of direct sunlight (which will bleach the petals).
Another thing you can try is putting them in an airtight plastic container with silica granules (the water retention polymers). After about a week the silica will absorb the moisture from the flowers!
Reply:I always hang my flowers upside down to dry. Roses usually
take about 3 to 4 weeks to dry. I make sure they're nice and
crispy before I create a potpourri mix with them. It's such a beautiful craft. Here's a pretty dried Rose Potpourri Mix:
3 TBS rose petals
2 TBS chamomile
1 TBS coriander
1 TBS lavender
1 tsp. cinnamon chips
1/2 vanilla bean chopped
3 TBS orris root
You can even add a mix of Rose, Cinnamon %26amp; Vanilla
essential oils to the dry mix and put it into a sachet pouch or
simmer it in a potpourri cooker. Enjoy! :)
Reply:The best way to dry real flowers is to dry them in sand.You put fine river sand in a basin or shallow container, put rose on top, and then cover flowers with sand. Put away somewhere warm and dark, for several weeks.I have never heard of using a Microwave. I think they would come out brittle.Good Luck!
Best way to dry flowers from bouquet?
mainly lilies, and orchids.... what is the best way to dry them
Best way to dry flowers from bouquet?
No, no, no - orchids can be dried upright or upside-down, but the lillies and other less-leathery flowers need to be dried in a box of sand or dessicant. Your local craft store probably stocks the dessicant, if not, you can get sand and put some in the bottom of a small box, then place each blossom in separately and pour some sand inside it and then softly around it until it is covered but still maintains it's shape.
Before you begin - always take a picture so you know how it went together (more or less) then take it apart to dry each piece appropriately - you can press ferns, hang orchids and other semi-dry plants, and you need dessicant or sand - and you need to put the soft flowers into the dessicant or sand right away!!!!
Reply:when they r completely dry put them in the paper bag
Reply:turn the bouquet upside down and hang somewhere dry while they are still looking nice, ie before they've started wilting.. that should do it.
unless you want to press them for framing? usually by putting on paper and a paper on top to soak the moisture, and then in between pages of a book, and then using something heavy on top of the book, for a few days until you're sure they've dried.
Reply:I agree with Amy r!!! Do not try to hang those! The petals will simply drop off!
Reply:Hang them upside down so they don't droop. I use rubber bands to hold then together and some string to secure them to the wall or ceiling.
Reply:I grow alot of flowers in my garden and save the seeds for next year. I just hang up in the barn till dry
Best way to dry flowers from bouquet?
No, no, no - orchids can be dried upright or upside-down, but the lillies and other less-leathery flowers need to be dried in a box of sand or dessicant. Your local craft store probably stocks the dessicant, if not, you can get sand and put some in the bottom of a small box, then place each blossom in separately and pour some sand inside it and then softly around it until it is covered but still maintains it's shape.
Before you begin - always take a picture so you know how it went together (more or less) then take it apart to dry each piece appropriately - you can press ferns, hang orchids and other semi-dry plants, and you need dessicant or sand - and you need to put the soft flowers into the dessicant or sand right away!!!!
Reply:when they r completely dry put them in the paper bag
Reply:turn the bouquet upside down and hang somewhere dry while they are still looking nice, ie before they've started wilting.. that should do it.
unless you want to press them for framing? usually by putting on paper and a paper on top to soak the moisture, and then in between pages of a book, and then using something heavy on top of the book, for a few days until you're sure they've dried.
Reply:I agree with Amy r!!! Do not try to hang those! The petals will simply drop off!
Reply:Hang them upside down so they don't droop. I use rubber bands to hold then together and some string to secure them to the wall or ceiling.
Reply:I grow alot of flowers in my garden and save the seeds for next year. I just hang up in the barn till dry
How to make dried flowers?
not all flowers are appropriate for drying, simply because it falls apart during the drying process, or, most commonly, the flowers turn brownish or loose their colors all together, or they could shrivel and curl up into an unattractive mess.
I prefer to use a flower with a thick bud, or a heavy base from which the flower begins. examples of these are roses-almost any and all kinds at any stage of the bloom; carnations, though the carnations will loose its color fast and can get browned edges during the drying process; babies breath- fragile when completed...etc.
Tulips, which are so beautiful--do not hold up well. Simply because the flower petals are delicate at the base of the bud, and there is not much water in the petals to begin with. they will fall apart before becoming fully dehydrated, or the petals will curl up on themselves and there won't be much to them after that. any flower that resembles the tulip or holds its characteristic petal and bud formations will not be a good choice to dry.
The iris and its counterparts like the lily, oddly enough, are okay to dry and I have found alot of success in keeping them for some time without loosing alot of color.
For a well kept dry flower, there are many types of spray adhevises and clear coats to use to help the petals to stay in place and hold the color of the petals intact. But, I have found that the dust it all accumulates kinda counteracts the benefits of such devices.
Just dehydrate the chosen in a draft free area--usually up high-- I tie a pretty ribbon onto the flower's stem before I begin to eliminate any chance of it breaking after it has dried. I tie mine onto to curtain rod on the inside of a window, to eliminate the draft and the sunlight destroying its color. Then it usually takes just a day or so to fully dry your flowers. You have to play around with different types to find what works best, and I wouldn't recommend keeping any dried flower for longer than a few months, it will just look crusty and dusty and old, by that time.
if you wish to keep one forever-squish it in between the pages of a book--it will forever be a squished and pretty flower.
How to make dried flowers?
thank you, it was nothing...really...just alot of trial and error. Honestly, I consider myself to be a whole Novel of Useless Information! (heeheee.:%26gt;) I appreciate your vote for Best answer, I can't wait to move up a level!!hoping the best for you and yours!!! Report It
Reply:hang them upside down. i often get a piece of string and hang them up in the window. they will dry out that way
Reply:put the flower the other way down ..
Reply:Hang them upside down individually on a wall or piece of scrap wood. You can tape the stems to the wall. Leave until dry.
platform flip flops
I prefer to use a flower with a thick bud, or a heavy base from which the flower begins. examples of these are roses-almost any and all kinds at any stage of the bloom; carnations, though the carnations will loose its color fast and can get browned edges during the drying process; babies breath- fragile when completed...etc.
Tulips, which are so beautiful--do not hold up well. Simply because the flower petals are delicate at the base of the bud, and there is not much water in the petals to begin with. they will fall apart before becoming fully dehydrated, or the petals will curl up on themselves and there won't be much to them after that. any flower that resembles the tulip or holds its characteristic petal and bud formations will not be a good choice to dry.
The iris and its counterparts like the lily, oddly enough, are okay to dry and I have found alot of success in keeping them for some time without loosing alot of color.
For a well kept dry flower, there are many types of spray adhevises and clear coats to use to help the petals to stay in place and hold the color of the petals intact. But, I have found that the dust it all accumulates kinda counteracts the benefits of such devices.
Just dehydrate the chosen in a draft free area--usually up high-- I tie a pretty ribbon onto the flower's stem before I begin to eliminate any chance of it breaking after it has dried. I tie mine onto to curtain rod on the inside of a window, to eliminate the draft and the sunlight destroying its color. Then it usually takes just a day or so to fully dry your flowers. You have to play around with different types to find what works best, and I wouldn't recommend keeping any dried flower for longer than a few months, it will just look crusty and dusty and old, by that time.
if you wish to keep one forever-squish it in between the pages of a book--it will forever be a squished and pretty flower.
How to make dried flowers?
thank you, it was nothing...really...just alot of trial and error. Honestly, I consider myself to be a whole Novel of Useless Information! (heeheee.:%26gt;) I appreciate your vote for Best answer, I can't wait to move up a level!!hoping the best for you and yours!!! Report It
Reply:hang them upside down. i often get a piece of string and hang them up in the window. they will dry out that way
Reply:put the flower the other way down ..
Reply:Hang them upside down individually on a wall or piece of scrap wood. You can tape the stems to the wall. Leave until dry.
platform flip flops
I would like to know how to preserve a bird nest. Would a dried flower floral preservative work?
You might ask at a craft store like Michael's. However, I'd think twice before bringing in or even touching a real bird's nest. Too many diseases and germs.
I would like to know how to preserve a bird nest. Would a dried flower floral preservative work?
HAIR SPRAY...it's worked for years! If there are germs,they will be stuck forever!
Reply:If you are talking about that spray.. Yes, that is the best thing to use for such preservation.. I have used it on other items but not birds nest
I would like to know how to preserve a bird nest. Would a dried flower floral preservative work?
HAIR SPRAY...it's worked for years! If there are germs,they will be stuck forever!
Reply:If you are talking about that spray.. Yes, that is the best thing to use for such preservation.. I have used it on other items but not birds nest
How to dry out flowers?
I have some roses that I got for Valentines Day, and they are already starting to dry. What is the best way to flatten and dry out the roses without crushing or bruising them so I can save them with my card? Thanks!
How to dry out flowers?
Leave the rose in the sun and wait till the petals to fall off.
Then soak the petals completely.
Then flatten them with an iron on low heat.
Reply:You should try putting them inside a normal book an then closing the book. After a while the rose should dry out and be flat. However you might not want to do it to a good book, because the water and liquid from the plant will sink into it.
Reply:I tie a string to mine and hang them from a doorway upside down. The petals dry and you can either put them in a vase again, without water of course, or, pukll them apart and use them as pot pouri
Reply:hang them upside down! anywhere. they will be pretty in about a week
Reply:You can get a product called Silca Gel (even though it is a crystal type powder). It will dry out your flower heads, while maintaining it's shape, and most of it's color. You can get it at any large craft store. The directions are on the packaging. It can be used over and over again.( ready for your next flowers).
Reply:find the heaviest book u can find put roses inbetween book and leave for 1 month they will keep there colour if there too wet hang in pantry
Reply:press it in a book
How to dry out flowers?
Leave the rose in the sun and wait till the petals to fall off.
Then soak the petals completely.
Then flatten them with an iron on low heat.
Reply:You should try putting them inside a normal book an then closing the book. After a while the rose should dry out and be flat. However you might not want to do it to a good book, because the water and liquid from the plant will sink into it.
Reply:I tie a string to mine and hang them from a doorway upside down. The petals dry and you can either put them in a vase again, without water of course, or, pukll them apart and use them as pot pouri
Reply:hang them upside down! anywhere. they will be pretty in about a week
Reply:You can get a product called Silca Gel (even though it is a crystal type powder). It will dry out your flower heads, while maintaining it's shape, and most of it's color. You can get it at any large craft store. The directions are on the packaging. It can be used over and over again.( ready for your next flowers).
Reply:find the heaviest book u can find put roses inbetween book and leave for 1 month they will keep there colour if there too wet hang in pantry
Reply:press it in a book
How do you dry out flowers?
So that I can keep it forever, and it won't die, yeah...
I've heard of people 'pressing' them, just wanted a few other ways, and how to do it, yeah..
How do you dry out flowers?
Place the bunch of flowers in a box, then slowly cover with fine
powered clay [bentonite is ideal]
place in a warm dry place.
The clay will remove all the moisture from the plant material.
hope this helps.
Reply:I also heard this one: put your flowers upside down. I have done this with roses many times and it works great.
Reply:well pressing them in a big thick book with some napkins in between will flatten them out but it can be done that way to safe them, what i used to do is to hang almost bloomed out flowers, specially roses , upside down and spray them with hairspray to give them a nice coat to prevent from shedding. leave them to dry in a dark place so they will keep the colour.
if you have a big hotensia flower, just put it in water and leave in water till the water runs out, it will dry on it's own and most of the colour will stay, it will get a bit darker, won't stay as vibrant.
i also heard that some people put their flowers in the microwave to dry, but i have never tried that one yet.
good luck with it
I've heard of people 'pressing' them, just wanted a few other ways, and how to do it, yeah..
How do you dry out flowers?
Place the bunch of flowers in a box, then slowly cover with fine
powered clay [bentonite is ideal]
place in a warm dry place.
The clay will remove all the moisture from the plant material.
hope this helps.
Reply:I also heard this one: put your flowers upside down. I have done this with roses many times and it works great.
Reply:well pressing them in a big thick book with some napkins in between will flatten them out but it can be done that way to safe them, what i used to do is to hang almost bloomed out flowers, specially roses , upside down and spray them with hairspray to give them a nice coat to prevent from shedding. leave them to dry in a dark place so they will keep the colour.
if you have a big hotensia flower, just put it in water and leave in water till the water runs out, it will dry on it's own and most of the colour will stay, it will get a bit darker, won't stay as vibrant.
i also heard that some people put their flowers in the microwave to dry, but i have never tried that one yet.
good luck with it
How do you dry statis flowers to make them last for a year?
I usually dry them upside down to make them straight,
.
How do you dry statis flowers to make them last for a year?
cut the flower to the length you want it ( this goes for just about any type of flower ) , set them in a jug or container with an equal mix , ( 50/50 or one to one ) , of water and anti-freeze . yes , that stuff you put in your cars radiator . wait about ten days to two weeks . you will notice the flowers sucking up the liquid . when you take them out of the container have a can of Aqua Net hair spray handy . spray evenly , several coats of hair spray over the flower/s . make sure you spray every nook and cranny . lay them on some old newspapers for a liitle bit until you can touch them without feeling a little tacky . works great on cat-tails ! make your own dried flower arrangements . they will last for years . good luck !
Reply:I used to dry flowers in borax. This kills any insects hiding in them and dries them quickly. Then I sprayed them with clear acrylic.
Reply:I use to dry them the same way....then I sprayed them with some clear acrylic or clear enamel paint. It helps the color stay in them.
motor scooter
.
How do you dry statis flowers to make them last for a year?
cut the flower to the length you want it ( this goes for just about any type of flower ) , set them in a jug or container with an equal mix , ( 50/50 or one to one ) , of water and anti-freeze . yes , that stuff you put in your cars radiator . wait about ten days to two weeks . you will notice the flowers sucking up the liquid . when you take them out of the container have a can of Aqua Net hair spray handy . spray evenly , several coats of hair spray over the flower/s . make sure you spray every nook and cranny . lay them on some old newspapers for a liitle bit until you can touch them without feeling a little tacky . works great on cat-tails ! make your own dried flower arrangements . they will last for years . good luck !
Reply:I used to dry flowers in borax. This kills any insects hiding in them and dries them quickly. Then I sprayed them with clear acrylic.
Reply:I use to dry them the same way....then I sprayed them with some clear acrylic or clear enamel paint. It helps the color stay in them.
motor scooter
How can you dry fresh flowers?
Especially roses and daisies.
How can you dry fresh flowers?
I agree with the other poster - tying rubber band around the bottom and hanging them upside down works well, but sometimes if you have a large bouquet, the flowers can get smooshed together.
If you have space, try separating some of the flowers, so they don't get compressed by the weight of the flowers.
Also, flowers dry better if they are freshly cut and have not been in water for a long time. If the flowers, particularly roses, have already been in water for a while and are a bit on the older side once you start drying them, they may smell a little funky as you dry them. I've heard that using a few spritzes of hairspray (the stuff with alcohol in it) on them might help them not stink.
Reply:Tie a rubber band around the bottom of the stems and then hang the roses upside down for 4 to 5 days. You will have a beautiful bouguet of dry roses in no time.
Reply:here is a site that may help.http://sc.essortment.com/howtoairdryf_rr...
Reply:Hang them upside down and after a week or so turn them upright.
How can you dry fresh flowers?
I agree with the other poster - tying rubber band around the bottom and hanging them upside down works well, but sometimes if you have a large bouquet, the flowers can get smooshed together.
If you have space, try separating some of the flowers, so they don't get compressed by the weight of the flowers.
Also, flowers dry better if they are freshly cut and have not been in water for a long time. If the flowers, particularly roses, have already been in water for a while and are a bit on the older side once you start drying them, they may smell a little funky as you dry them. I've heard that using a few spritzes of hairspray (the stuff with alcohol in it) on them might help them not stink.
Reply:Tie a rubber band around the bottom of the stems and then hang the roses upside down for 4 to 5 days. You will have a beautiful bouguet of dry roses in no time.
Reply:here is a site that may help.http://sc.essortment.com/howtoairdryf_rr...
Reply:Hang them upside down and after a week or so turn them upright.
Am I allowed to bring dried flowers into the USA from Europe?
I would suggest that you check with your airline first to see what they say, but after looking at the US customs website you can bring dried flowers back in the US, they need to be declared though so they can inspect them. http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacati...
Hope this helps and have a great trip!
Am I allowed to bring dried flowers into the USA from Europe?
yea i think you are I mean they are only flowers right no harm done
Hope this helps and have a great trip!
Am I allowed to bring dried flowers into the USA from Europe?
yea i think you are I mean they are only flowers right no harm done
How do you dry flowers?
I know you hang them up side down to dry, but how do u keep them from falling apart after they are dryed
How do you dry flowers?
HOME %26amp; GARDEN INFORMATION CENTER
Drying Flowers
Even with the increased popularity of plastic and fiber flowers (silk for example), many people still prefer "the real thing" preserved in a lifelike manner. Flower preservation has become a popular hobby. Flowers such as marigolds, zinnias, goldenrod, yarrow, roses and hydrangeas are readily available and the costs of additional materials needed are relatively inexpensive when compared to that of other hobbies.
You can preserve colored fall leaves, magnolia leaves (for wreaths) and mistletoe (for holiday decorations) with glycerin, giving them a very natural appearance. Many people like to preserve the flowers from a wedding bouquet.
Preserving flowers and foliage can be fun year round. Some of the more common methods employed to preserve flowers and foliage are covered below.
FLOWERS
Many materials have been used to preserve flowers, some more successfully than others. These include sawdust, washing powder, talcum powder, alcohol, cornstarch, silica gel, cornmeal, borax, sand, antifreeze and even kitty litter! No one material can be considered the best because what may prove best for one flower may be an inferior material for another flower. In addition, it is important to realize that there is a certain amount of expertise involved. People may become skilled using a certain technique, while others may get poor results using that same method with the same flower species.
Except for microwave drying, the methods employed involve slowly drying freshly cut flowers in a manner that results in preserving them in a lifelike manner relative to color, form, flexibility and texture. This may be accomplished in several ways:
Pressing: This may still be the most popular or familiar method of preserving flowers. The plant material is placed between the pages of a book, which is closed and weighted. Special devices called plant presses give excellent results. Violets, pansies, larkspur and ferns preserve well when pressed in this manner. Material preserved with this method can be arranged in framed displays.
Air-Drying: Expose the flowers to warm, dry air in a dark location. This is the oldest and simplest method, and is commonly referred to as the "hang and dry" method, a method name somewhat misleading because some flowers are air-dried on wire racks (peonies for example). It was the method used here in America by the English colonists. The majority of the flowers in the dried arrangements displayed at Williamsburg, Mount Vernon and other historic houses were preserved in this manner. The plant material to be dried is collected, tied, and simply hung upside down in a warm, dark, dry place. The darkness helps preserve the flower color. Flowers dried in this manner should be cut just before being fully open.
Examples of flowers that preserve well by this method are baby’s breath, cattail, statice, celosia, dock, goldenrod, heather and pussy willow. Flowers dried in this manner are extremely stiff once dried. Blue and yellow flowers retain their colors when air dried, but pink flowers fade. Roses and peonies shrink somewhat when air-dried.
Desiccants: Embedding the flowers in a granular, desiccating material is probably the most commonly used method and many consider it the best all around method. Several materials may be used, and they vary in cost and the results that they produce. It is important to use the correct procedure when covering the flowers so that their form will be maintained. To cover a flower, put about an inch of desiccating material at the bottom of the container; cut the flower stem to about a half an inch and stick this into the center of the material at the bottom to hold the flower. Next, pour the desiccating material along the perimeter of the container, away from the flower, building up a continuous mound of about an inch. Then tap lightly on the container and the material will move to the flower, not altering the form of the petals (in other words, the material will not weigh down the petals as it would if it were just poured on top of the flower). Continue adding the material, tapping on the container, etc. until the flower is completely covered. Lastly, add an inch of the material above the top of the flower.
A Couple of "Borax Methods": This involves burying the flowers in a mixture of borax and white cornmeal (2:1) or borax and sand (2:1). These methods result in flowers that are less stiff than those preserved with the "hang and dry" method, but the particles tend to cling to some flowers. Also, in some cases, the sand, because of its rough edges, may produce small holes in the petals.
These methods are "trial and error" because the flowers can be burned if embedded too long. About 10 days is the average if cornmeal is used, and about 16 days of drying is needed if sand is used.
Silica Gel: This may be used with sand alone or with the borax methods just described. Its designation is a misnomer for it is not a gel; it is granular. The material can absorb about 40percent of its weight with water. It is not cheap, compared to the materials mentioned above. It is appropriate for quick-drying flowers and for drying flowers with closely packed petals such as roses. When silica gel is used, the container should be sealed for maximum effect. The flowers will dry in about a week. The commercial material contains fine as well as coarse granules, which, in some cases, produce very small punctures of the petals. Silica gel may be oven-dried (at 300 ° F) and reused. It is blue when dry and light pink when it has absorbed water.
Oolitic sand: Most connoisseurs of the art of preserving flowers agree that the best material available for achieving excellent results is oolitic sand, a material found along the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
Oolitic sand is heavy, which puts steady pressure on the flower while it’s drying; it is smooth therefore, it doesn’t injure the flower; it is hollow, which enhances its ability to absorb water; and it has a relative high pH, which helps to preserve the flowers color. It may be reused.
Common sand: Clean sand can be treated to produce a product similar to oolitic sand. Builders sand or play sand should first be washed thoroughly. Put the sand in a bucket of water with a couple of squirts of liquid dishwashing detergent. Stir it and pour off the water. Then, continue to add fresh water (pouring it off, adding some, etc.) until the added water remains clear. Then, dry the clean sand. For quick drying, it may be placed in a 250 ° F oven on a cookie sheet.
Once the sand is dry, weigh 15 pounds and place it in a medium-hot oven on a cookie sheet until it is evenly heated throughout. Remove the heated sand from the oven and stir into it 3 tablespoons of melted paraffin wax, using a large spoon. After its cooled, add 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and 1 tablespoon of fine silica gel, distributing these throughout. The wax smoothes the sharp edges of the sand (but reduces its absorbency); the soda raises the pH (which preserves color); and the gel increases its absorbency. Like oolitic sand, this may be reused.
How much sand is needed? A 1-pound coffee can hold 4 pounds of sand, which is enough to dry one rose.
Often, dried materials lose some of their original colors. A practical approach to restoring colors to dried flowers is chalking them with a camel’s hair brush. The best grade of soft chalk can easily be grated on waxed paper and stored in plastic bottles for long-term use. Colors can be mixed to obtain exact hues. Once chalked, the flowers can be moisture-proofed with a spray like hair spray.
Water-Drying: Believe it or not, some flowers dry well if placed in water! The stems of the flowers are initially placed in a couple of inches of water, then the water is allowed to evaporate and be taken up by the cut flowers. The container and flowers should be in a dry, warm and dark location. Hydrangeas, yarrow, bells-of-Ireland and celosia dry well with this method.
FOLIAGE
Dried foliage can seemingly last forever. There is a dried laurel Roman head-wreath at the British Museum that is over 2,000 years old! Foliage may be preserved like flowers by air-drying or burying the foliage in a desiccant; however, there are other methods more appropriate for foliage preservation.
Heat Pressing: Press with a warm iron. Placing the foliage between two pieces of waxed paper and pressing the wax paper with a medium hot iron easily preserves the flexibility and the fall colors of foliage. New pieces of waxed paper must by used for each pressing.
Glycerizing: Allow the stems to take up and translocate a glycerin/water mixture. This is ideal for magnolia and mistletoe. Mature leaves work best, but younger leaves can be preserved, too. Some ivies, mahonia, eucalyptus, boxwood, beech, camellia, oak and rhododendron also do well if allowed to absorb glycerin. Using mature leaves, mash the stem ends of each branch with a hammer and place the stems in a warm mixture of glycerin/water (1 glycerin: 2 water, by volumes). Branches of mature leaves should be no longer than 18 inches, including the part of the stripped stem that is in the container of glycerin/water. It is important to remember that the cut branches will take up the glycerin/water mixture, so more of the mixture must be added to the container to replace that which has been taken up. Keep the solution depth at about 6 inches. After crushing the stems, some hobbyists place the plant material in a salt solution (1 tablespoon table salt/ gallon water) for 24 hours before placing them in the glycerin solution, reporting that this increases the uptake rate of the glycerin solution. If younger leaves are used however, they should be submerged completely in a 1:1 glycerin/water solution (vol./vol.), then washed once done.
You’ll know the process is complete when the entire leaf turns golden brown. It may take two to three weeks before all the foliage is done. The leaves remain flexible, and wreaths made from glycerized magnolia leaves can remain beautiful for many years. Glycerin can be obtained from your local pharmacist. Unfortunately, it is not cheap. Request the technical grade of glycerin; it is less expensive than the laboratory grade.
In addition to their use in dried arrangements, dried foliage on floral picks make excellent wreaths. (See Making Wreaths on the world wide web at http://www.clemson.edu/psapublishing/Pag...
MICROWAVE DRYING
Flowers with thick petals, such as magnolia and hyacinth, do not dry well in a microwave. For microwave drying, select flowers just before they are fully opened. Fully opened flowers will often lose their petals after microwave drying. Foliage dries exceptionally well in a microwave oven.
During drying, the flowers must be supported so that they dry in their normal form. A borax/sand mixture or kitty litter will do, but silica gel works best. Cover the flower(s) as described above under desiccants. Use a setting of 4 (that’s about 300 watts) if the microwave oven has about 10 settings. If the microwave oven has a defrost setting, use that (about 200 watts). It takes about two and a half minutes to dry flowers in a half-pound of silica gel.
The best way to determine the length of time required is to employ a microwavable thermometer, which contains no metal. Place the thermometer into the silica gel about a half-inch from the covered plant material. Make sure that you can read the thermometer from outside the oven. When the temperature of the silica gel reaches about 160º F, it is done! You do not have to be concerned about the strength of the oven (its setting) or the length of time to have it on. Actually, some flowers need to be heated to 170 ºF, others to only 150 ºF, but these are exceptions. For most, it is 160 ºF.
When the container of dried flowers or foliage is removed from the microwave oven, place a lid (slightly cracked) on it, and allow it to sit for about 24 hours before carefully uncovering the flowers.
In alphabetical order, the following are just a few of the flowers that can be dried successfully in a microwave: African daisy (Gerbera), African marigold, astilbe, buttercup, chrysanthemum, cosmos, daffodil, daylily, delphinium, foxglove, goldenrod, hollyhock, hydrangea, larkspur, lilac, pansy, rose, sedum, tulip, witch hazel and zinnia.
Reply:Harvesting Flowers for Drying
It is best to cut your flowers in the morning hours after the dew has evaporated from the plants. Once cut, group stems into bunches using rubber bands (pure rubber rubber bands work best) and remove them from the sunlight as soon as possible.
There are definite developmental times which are best for cutting flowers for drying. This can be very specific for different plants or even different cultivators of the same plant. In general, it is best to pick immature flowers (ones that are not completely open) since flowers continue to open during the drying process. If you pick a flower at the time that it looks perfect, it will continue to open while drying, leaving you with a flower past that ‘perfect stage’. Most people pick flowers too late in development.
For example, have you ever seen a pretty dried rose? If you really look at it, the flower is still fairly closed. Avoid harvesting flowers too mature in development. Such flowers will generally shed upon drying and will not hold up well in arrangements.
We offer specific picking and growing recommendations for each flower we grow. Just click on any dried flower name on any of our lists to obtain a wealth of specific information including pictures!
Preserving Flowers
With only a few exceptions, we air dry all our flowers. We simple hang flower bunches upside down on wire (over two miles of it is stretched in our circa 1860 barns). The barns offer ideal conditions: 1) darkness; 2) very good airflow; 3) cool updrafts; 4) perfect (usually) humidity levels. Once you have cut your flowers, it is important to remove them from the sunlight as soon as possible. This, along with drying in the dark, is the most important factor in maintaining good color.
Technical Note: Fading of a color pigment is an oxidation chemical reaction, which requires water and light. When you cut the flower it contains water (that is what we are trying to remove). Thus, we remove the light during drying and inhibit the reaction. Once the water is removed we can reintroduce the now dried flower into the light. Any fading which subsequently occurs as a result of the dried flower reabsorbing moisture and reacting with the now present light.
Hang your bunches in a well ventilated attic, large closet, or even a dark shed or garage. Hanging lines can be made out of rope or wire (we use 14-gauge fence wire). The reason we hang flowers upside down is simple to maintain straight stems. If you dried flowers right side up, they would bend over (like a wilting flower) and you would end up with dried flowers with distorted stems. With this in mind, there are a few flowers that have woody stems (e.g. hydrangea) or very light flowers (e.g. Baby's Breath) which do not require hanging.
Duration of drying time depends on many factors including humidity, temperature, airflow, and the type of flower you are drying. In certain conditions, some flowers can dry in 24 hours. A dried flower should feel stiff and ‘dry’, not limp or damp.
If you are picking only flower heads, you can set them on newspaper or a sheet spread out on a counter or floor to dry (in a dark room). You can expedite the drying process by placing them on a screen.
Enjoying Dried Flowers
In general, dried flowers should remain out of direct sunlight while you enjoy them in their final state. This will minimize fading over time. We also suggest not to place dried flowers in the path of forced air heat registers. This extremely dry air is very hard on dried flower structure (causes shattering).
Suggestion for use of dried flowers would include wreaths, swags (vertical and horizontal), sheaths, bouquets, and sprays. Simply hanging dried flowers in a room can be very appealing. Also, placing clusters of bunches in a basket, as though you just came in from a garden, is most attractive.
In the future: We plan to offer virtual clinics on wreath and swag making, and table arrangements. Presently we do offer wreath and swag making demonstrations during our August Flower Farm Open House Weekend.
Care of Dried Flowers
Routine dusting can be accomplished using a real feather duster or hair blow dryer on it’s lowest setting.
Storing Dried Flowers
We recommend wrapping the flowers in newspaper and placing them in a cardboard box. Do not store the box containing the dried flowers where it is unusually damp (some basements) or very dry (some attics). Also, a lot of people think you should never store dried flowers outside (it would be way to cold). This is simply not true. Temperatures are not important. In fact, a garage can be an ideal place for storing dried flowers. Actually, if your home is heated by forced air, the preferred place to store dried flowers would be in a outside building away from the dry heat.
Reply:Sometimes spraying them with scotchguard helps.... or a clear varnish, though you may not like the sheen.
Reply:Pressing: This may still be the most popular or familiar method of preserving flowers. The plant material is placed between the pages of a book, which is closed and weighted. Special devices called plant presses give excellent results. Violets, pansies, larkspur and ferns preserve well when pressed in this manner. Material preserved with this method can be arranged in framed displays.
Air-Drying: Expose the flowers to warm, dry air in a dark location. This is the oldest and simplest method, and is commonly referred to as the "hang and dry" method, a method name somewhat misleading because some flowers are air-dried on wire racks (peonies for example). It was the method used here in America by the English colonists. The majority of the flowers in the dried arrangements displayed at Williamsburg, Mount Vernon and other historic houses were preserved in this manner. The plant material to be dried is collected, tied, and simply hung upside down in a warm, dark, dry place. The darkness helps preserve the flower color. Flowers dried in this manner should be cut just before being fully open.
Examples of flowers that preserve well by this method are baby’s breath, cattail, statice, celosia, dock, goldenrod, heather and pussy willow. Flowers dried in this manner are extremely stiff once dried. Blue and yellow flowers retain their colors when air dried, but pink flowers fade. Roses and peonies shrink somewhat when air-dried.
Desiccants: Embedding the flowers in a granular, desiccating material is probably the most commonly used method and many consider it the best all around method. Several materials may be used, and they vary in cost and the results that they produce. It is important to use the correct procedure when covering the flowers so that their form will be maintained. To cover a flower, put about an inch of desiccating material at the bottom of the container; cut the flower stem to about a half an inch and stick this into the center of the material at the bottom to hold the flower. Next, pour the desiccating material along the perimeter of the container, away from the flower, building up a continuous mound of about an inch. Then tap lightly on the container and the material will move to the flower, not altering the form of the petals (in other words, the material will not weigh down the petals as it would if it were just poured on top of the flower). Continue adding the material, tapping on the container, etc. until the flower is completely covered. Lastly, add an inch of the material above the top of the flower.
A Couple of "Borax Methods": This involves burying the flowers in a mixture of borax and white cornmeal (2:1) or borax and sand (2:1). These methods result in flowers that are less stiff than those preserved with the "hang and dry" method, but the particles tend to cling to some flowers. Also, in some cases, the sand, because of its rough edges, may produce small holes in the petals.
These methods are "trial and error" because the flowers can be burned if embedded too long. About 10 days is the average if cornmeal is used, and about 16 days of drying is needed if sand is used.
Silica Gel: This may be used with sand alone or with the borax methods just described. Its designation is a misnomer for it is not a gel; it is granular. The material can absorb about 40percent of its weight with water. It is not cheap, compared to the materials mentioned above. It is appropriate for quick-drying flowers and for drying flowers with closely packed petals such as roses. When silica gel is used, the container should be sealed for maximum effect. The flowers will dry in about a week. The commercial material contains fine as well as coarse granules, which, in some cases, produce very small punctures of the petals. Silica gel may be oven-dried (at 300 ° F) and reused. It is blue when dry and light pink when it has absorbed water.
Oolitic sand: Most connoisseurs of the art of preserving flowers agree that the best material available for achieving excellent results is oolitic sand, a material found along the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
Oolitic sand is heavy, which puts steady pressure on the flower while it’s drying; it is smooth therefore, it doesn’t injure the flower; it is hollow, which enhances its ability to absorb water; and it has a relative high pH, which helps to preserve the flowers color. It may be reused.
Common sand: Clean sand can be treated to produce a product similar to oolitic sand. Builders sand or play sand should first be washed thoroughly. Put the sand in a bucket of water with a couple of squirts of liquid dishwashing detergent. Stir it and pour off the water. Then, continue to add fresh water (pouring it off, adding some, etc.) until the added water remains clear. Then, dry the clean sand. For quick drying, it may be placed in a 250 ° F oven on a cookie sheet.
Once the sand is dry, weigh 15 pounds and place it in a medium-hot oven on a cookie sheet until it is evenly heated throughout. Remove the heated sand from the oven and stir into it 3 tablespoons of melted paraffin wax, using a large spoon. After its cooled, add 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and 1 tablespoon of fine silica gel, distributing these throughout. The wax smoothes the sharp edges of the sand (but reduces its absorbency); the soda raises the pH (which preserves color); and the gel increases its absorbency. Like oolitic sand, this may be reused.
How much sand is needed? A 1-pound coffee can hold 4 pounds of sand, which is enough to dry one rose.
Often, dried materials lose some of their original colors. A practical approach to restoring colors to dried flowers is chalking them with a camel’s hair brush. The best grade of soft chalk can easily be grated on waxed paper and stored in plastic bottles for long-term use. Colors can be mixed to obtain exact hues. Once chalked, the flowers can be moisture-proofed with a spray like hair spray.
Water-Drying: Believe it or not, some flowers dry well if placed in water! The stems of the flowers are initially placed in a couple of inches of water, then the water is allowed to evaporate and be taken up by the cut flowers. The container and flowers should be in a dry, warm and dark location. Hydrangeas, yarrow, bells-of-Ireland and celosia dry well with this method.
Reply:Some people just spray them with hairspray
Reply:You have to use hairspray to keep the flowers intact.
How do you dry flowers?
HOME %26amp; GARDEN INFORMATION CENTER
Drying Flowers
Even with the increased popularity of plastic and fiber flowers (silk for example), many people still prefer "the real thing" preserved in a lifelike manner. Flower preservation has become a popular hobby. Flowers such as marigolds, zinnias, goldenrod, yarrow, roses and hydrangeas are readily available and the costs of additional materials needed are relatively inexpensive when compared to that of other hobbies.
You can preserve colored fall leaves, magnolia leaves (for wreaths) and mistletoe (for holiday decorations) with glycerin, giving them a very natural appearance. Many people like to preserve the flowers from a wedding bouquet.
Preserving flowers and foliage can be fun year round. Some of the more common methods employed to preserve flowers and foliage are covered below.
FLOWERS
Many materials have been used to preserve flowers, some more successfully than others. These include sawdust, washing powder, talcum powder, alcohol, cornstarch, silica gel, cornmeal, borax, sand, antifreeze and even kitty litter! No one material can be considered the best because what may prove best for one flower may be an inferior material for another flower. In addition, it is important to realize that there is a certain amount of expertise involved. People may become skilled using a certain technique, while others may get poor results using that same method with the same flower species.
Except for microwave drying, the methods employed involve slowly drying freshly cut flowers in a manner that results in preserving them in a lifelike manner relative to color, form, flexibility and texture. This may be accomplished in several ways:
Pressing: This may still be the most popular or familiar method of preserving flowers. The plant material is placed between the pages of a book, which is closed and weighted. Special devices called plant presses give excellent results. Violets, pansies, larkspur and ferns preserve well when pressed in this manner. Material preserved with this method can be arranged in framed displays.
Air-Drying: Expose the flowers to warm, dry air in a dark location. This is the oldest and simplest method, and is commonly referred to as the "hang and dry" method, a method name somewhat misleading because some flowers are air-dried on wire racks (peonies for example). It was the method used here in America by the English colonists. The majority of the flowers in the dried arrangements displayed at Williamsburg, Mount Vernon and other historic houses were preserved in this manner. The plant material to be dried is collected, tied, and simply hung upside down in a warm, dark, dry place. The darkness helps preserve the flower color. Flowers dried in this manner should be cut just before being fully open.
Examples of flowers that preserve well by this method are baby’s breath, cattail, statice, celosia, dock, goldenrod, heather and pussy willow. Flowers dried in this manner are extremely stiff once dried. Blue and yellow flowers retain their colors when air dried, but pink flowers fade. Roses and peonies shrink somewhat when air-dried.
Desiccants: Embedding the flowers in a granular, desiccating material is probably the most commonly used method and many consider it the best all around method. Several materials may be used, and they vary in cost and the results that they produce. It is important to use the correct procedure when covering the flowers so that their form will be maintained. To cover a flower, put about an inch of desiccating material at the bottom of the container; cut the flower stem to about a half an inch and stick this into the center of the material at the bottom to hold the flower. Next, pour the desiccating material along the perimeter of the container, away from the flower, building up a continuous mound of about an inch. Then tap lightly on the container and the material will move to the flower, not altering the form of the petals (in other words, the material will not weigh down the petals as it would if it were just poured on top of the flower). Continue adding the material, tapping on the container, etc. until the flower is completely covered. Lastly, add an inch of the material above the top of the flower.
A Couple of "Borax Methods": This involves burying the flowers in a mixture of borax and white cornmeal (2:1) or borax and sand (2:1). These methods result in flowers that are less stiff than those preserved with the "hang and dry" method, but the particles tend to cling to some flowers. Also, in some cases, the sand, because of its rough edges, may produce small holes in the petals.
These methods are "trial and error" because the flowers can be burned if embedded too long. About 10 days is the average if cornmeal is used, and about 16 days of drying is needed if sand is used.
Silica Gel: This may be used with sand alone or with the borax methods just described. Its designation is a misnomer for it is not a gel; it is granular. The material can absorb about 40percent of its weight with water. It is not cheap, compared to the materials mentioned above. It is appropriate for quick-drying flowers and for drying flowers with closely packed petals such as roses. When silica gel is used, the container should be sealed for maximum effect. The flowers will dry in about a week. The commercial material contains fine as well as coarse granules, which, in some cases, produce very small punctures of the petals. Silica gel may be oven-dried (at 300 ° F) and reused. It is blue when dry and light pink when it has absorbed water.
Oolitic sand: Most connoisseurs of the art of preserving flowers agree that the best material available for achieving excellent results is oolitic sand, a material found along the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
Oolitic sand is heavy, which puts steady pressure on the flower while it’s drying; it is smooth therefore, it doesn’t injure the flower; it is hollow, which enhances its ability to absorb water; and it has a relative high pH, which helps to preserve the flowers color. It may be reused.
Common sand: Clean sand can be treated to produce a product similar to oolitic sand. Builders sand or play sand should first be washed thoroughly. Put the sand in a bucket of water with a couple of squirts of liquid dishwashing detergent. Stir it and pour off the water. Then, continue to add fresh water (pouring it off, adding some, etc.) until the added water remains clear. Then, dry the clean sand. For quick drying, it may be placed in a 250 ° F oven on a cookie sheet.
Once the sand is dry, weigh 15 pounds and place it in a medium-hot oven on a cookie sheet until it is evenly heated throughout. Remove the heated sand from the oven and stir into it 3 tablespoons of melted paraffin wax, using a large spoon. After its cooled, add 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and 1 tablespoon of fine silica gel, distributing these throughout. The wax smoothes the sharp edges of the sand (but reduces its absorbency); the soda raises the pH (which preserves color); and the gel increases its absorbency. Like oolitic sand, this may be reused.
How much sand is needed? A 1-pound coffee can hold 4 pounds of sand, which is enough to dry one rose.
Often, dried materials lose some of their original colors. A practical approach to restoring colors to dried flowers is chalking them with a camel’s hair brush. The best grade of soft chalk can easily be grated on waxed paper and stored in plastic bottles for long-term use. Colors can be mixed to obtain exact hues. Once chalked, the flowers can be moisture-proofed with a spray like hair spray.
Water-Drying: Believe it or not, some flowers dry well if placed in water! The stems of the flowers are initially placed in a couple of inches of water, then the water is allowed to evaporate and be taken up by the cut flowers. The container and flowers should be in a dry, warm and dark location. Hydrangeas, yarrow, bells-of-Ireland and celosia dry well with this method.
FOLIAGE
Dried foliage can seemingly last forever. There is a dried laurel Roman head-wreath at the British Museum that is over 2,000 years old! Foliage may be preserved like flowers by air-drying or burying the foliage in a desiccant; however, there are other methods more appropriate for foliage preservation.
Heat Pressing: Press with a warm iron. Placing the foliage between two pieces of waxed paper and pressing the wax paper with a medium hot iron easily preserves the flexibility and the fall colors of foliage. New pieces of waxed paper must by used for each pressing.
Glycerizing: Allow the stems to take up and translocate a glycerin/water mixture. This is ideal for magnolia and mistletoe. Mature leaves work best, but younger leaves can be preserved, too. Some ivies, mahonia, eucalyptus, boxwood, beech, camellia, oak and rhododendron also do well if allowed to absorb glycerin. Using mature leaves, mash the stem ends of each branch with a hammer and place the stems in a warm mixture of glycerin/water (1 glycerin: 2 water, by volumes). Branches of mature leaves should be no longer than 18 inches, including the part of the stripped stem that is in the container of glycerin/water. It is important to remember that the cut branches will take up the glycerin/water mixture, so more of the mixture must be added to the container to replace that which has been taken up. Keep the solution depth at about 6 inches. After crushing the stems, some hobbyists place the plant material in a salt solution (1 tablespoon table salt/ gallon water) for 24 hours before placing them in the glycerin solution, reporting that this increases the uptake rate of the glycerin solution. If younger leaves are used however, they should be submerged completely in a 1:1 glycerin/water solution (vol./vol.), then washed once done.
You’ll know the process is complete when the entire leaf turns golden brown. It may take two to three weeks before all the foliage is done. The leaves remain flexible, and wreaths made from glycerized magnolia leaves can remain beautiful for many years. Glycerin can be obtained from your local pharmacist. Unfortunately, it is not cheap. Request the technical grade of glycerin; it is less expensive than the laboratory grade.
In addition to their use in dried arrangements, dried foliage on floral picks make excellent wreaths. (See Making Wreaths on the world wide web at http://www.clemson.edu/psapublishing/Pag...
MICROWAVE DRYING
Flowers with thick petals, such as magnolia and hyacinth, do not dry well in a microwave. For microwave drying, select flowers just before they are fully opened. Fully opened flowers will often lose their petals after microwave drying. Foliage dries exceptionally well in a microwave oven.
During drying, the flowers must be supported so that they dry in their normal form. A borax/sand mixture or kitty litter will do, but silica gel works best. Cover the flower(s) as described above under desiccants. Use a setting of 4 (that’s about 300 watts) if the microwave oven has about 10 settings. If the microwave oven has a defrost setting, use that (about 200 watts). It takes about two and a half minutes to dry flowers in a half-pound of silica gel.
The best way to determine the length of time required is to employ a microwavable thermometer, which contains no metal. Place the thermometer into the silica gel about a half-inch from the covered plant material. Make sure that you can read the thermometer from outside the oven. When the temperature of the silica gel reaches about 160º F, it is done! You do not have to be concerned about the strength of the oven (its setting) or the length of time to have it on. Actually, some flowers need to be heated to 170 ºF, others to only 150 ºF, but these are exceptions. For most, it is 160 ºF.
When the container of dried flowers or foliage is removed from the microwave oven, place a lid (slightly cracked) on it, and allow it to sit for about 24 hours before carefully uncovering the flowers.
In alphabetical order, the following are just a few of the flowers that can be dried successfully in a microwave: African daisy (Gerbera), African marigold, astilbe, buttercup, chrysanthemum, cosmos, daffodil, daylily, delphinium, foxglove, goldenrod, hollyhock, hydrangea, larkspur, lilac, pansy, rose, sedum, tulip, witch hazel and zinnia.
Reply:Harvesting Flowers for Drying
It is best to cut your flowers in the morning hours after the dew has evaporated from the plants. Once cut, group stems into bunches using rubber bands (pure rubber rubber bands work best) and remove them from the sunlight as soon as possible.
There are definite developmental times which are best for cutting flowers for drying. This can be very specific for different plants or even different cultivators of the same plant. In general, it is best to pick immature flowers (ones that are not completely open) since flowers continue to open during the drying process. If you pick a flower at the time that it looks perfect, it will continue to open while drying, leaving you with a flower past that ‘perfect stage’. Most people pick flowers too late in development.
For example, have you ever seen a pretty dried rose? If you really look at it, the flower is still fairly closed. Avoid harvesting flowers too mature in development. Such flowers will generally shed upon drying and will not hold up well in arrangements.
We offer specific picking and growing recommendations for each flower we grow. Just click on any dried flower name on any of our lists to obtain a wealth of specific information including pictures!
Preserving Flowers
With only a few exceptions, we air dry all our flowers. We simple hang flower bunches upside down on wire (over two miles of it is stretched in our circa 1860 barns). The barns offer ideal conditions: 1) darkness; 2) very good airflow; 3) cool updrafts; 4) perfect (usually) humidity levels. Once you have cut your flowers, it is important to remove them from the sunlight as soon as possible. This, along with drying in the dark, is the most important factor in maintaining good color.
Technical Note: Fading of a color pigment is an oxidation chemical reaction, which requires water and light. When you cut the flower it contains water (that is what we are trying to remove). Thus, we remove the light during drying and inhibit the reaction. Once the water is removed we can reintroduce the now dried flower into the light. Any fading which subsequently occurs as a result of the dried flower reabsorbing moisture and reacting with the now present light.
Hang your bunches in a well ventilated attic, large closet, or even a dark shed or garage. Hanging lines can be made out of rope or wire (we use 14-gauge fence wire). The reason we hang flowers upside down is simple to maintain straight stems. If you dried flowers right side up, they would bend over (like a wilting flower) and you would end up with dried flowers with distorted stems. With this in mind, there are a few flowers that have woody stems (e.g. hydrangea) or very light flowers (e.g. Baby's Breath) which do not require hanging.
Duration of drying time depends on many factors including humidity, temperature, airflow, and the type of flower you are drying. In certain conditions, some flowers can dry in 24 hours. A dried flower should feel stiff and ‘dry’, not limp or damp.
If you are picking only flower heads, you can set them on newspaper or a sheet spread out on a counter or floor to dry (in a dark room). You can expedite the drying process by placing them on a screen.
Enjoying Dried Flowers
In general, dried flowers should remain out of direct sunlight while you enjoy them in their final state. This will minimize fading over time. We also suggest not to place dried flowers in the path of forced air heat registers. This extremely dry air is very hard on dried flower structure (causes shattering).
Suggestion for use of dried flowers would include wreaths, swags (vertical and horizontal), sheaths, bouquets, and sprays. Simply hanging dried flowers in a room can be very appealing. Also, placing clusters of bunches in a basket, as though you just came in from a garden, is most attractive.
In the future: We plan to offer virtual clinics on wreath and swag making, and table arrangements. Presently we do offer wreath and swag making demonstrations during our August Flower Farm Open House Weekend.
Care of Dried Flowers
Routine dusting can be accomplished using a real feather duster or hair blow dryer on it’s lowest setting.
Storing Dried Flowers
We recommend wrapping the flowers in newspaper and placing them in a cardboard box. Do not store the box containing the dried flowers where it is unusually damp (some basements) or very dry (some attics). Also, a lot of people think you should never store dried flowers outside (it would be way to cold). This is simply not true. Temperatures are not important. In fact, a garage can be an ideal place for storing dried flowers. Actually, if your home is heated by forced air, the preferred place to store dried flowers would be in a outside building away from the dry heat.
Reply:Sometimes spraying them with scotchguard helps.... or a clear varnish, though you may not like the sheen.
Reply:Pressing: This may still be the most popular or familiar method of preserving flowers. The plant material is placed between the pages of a book, which is closed and weighted. Special devices called plant presses give excellent results. Violets, pansies, larkspur and ferns preserve well when pressed in this manner. Material preserved with this method can be arranged in framed displays.
Air-Drying: Expose the flowers to warm, dry air in a dark location. This is the oldest and simplest method, and is commonly referred to as the "hang and dry" method, a method name somewhat misleading because some flowers are air-dried on wire racks (peonies for example). It was the method used here in America by the English colonists. The majority of the flowers in the dried arrangements displayed at Williamsburg, Mount Vernon and other historic houses were preserved in this manner. The plant material to be dried is collected, tied, and simply hung upside down in a warm, dark, dry place. The darkness helps preserve the flower color. Flowers dried in this manner should be cut just before being fully open.
Examples of flowers that preserve well by this method are baby’s breath, cattail, statice, celosia, dock, goldenrod, heather and pussy willow. Flowers dried in this manner are extremely stiff once dried. Blue and yellow flowers retain their colors when air dried, but pink flowers fade. Roses and peonies shrink somewhat when air-dried.
Desiccants: Embedding the flowers in a granular, desiccating material is probably the most commonly used method and many consider it the best all around method. Several materials may be used, and they vary in cost and the results that they produce. It is important to use the correct procedure when covering the flowers so that their form will be maintained. To cover a flower, put about an inch of desiccating material at the bottom of the container; cut the flower stem to about a half an inch and stick this into the center of the material at the bottom to hold the flower. Next, pour the desiccating material along the perimeter of the container, away from the flower, building up a continuous mound of about an inch. Then tap lightly on the container and the material will move to the flower, not altering the form of the petals (in other words, the material will not weigh down the petals as it would if it were just poured on top of the flower). Continue adding the material, tapping on the container, etc. until the flower is completely covered. Lastly, add an inch of the material above the top of the flower.
A Couple of "Borax Methods": This involves burying the flowers in a mixture of borax and white cornmeal (2:1) or borax and sand (2:1). These methods result in flowers that are less stiff than those preserved with the "hang and dry" method, but the particles tend to cling to some flowers. Also, in some cases, the sand, because of its rough edges, may produce small holes in the petals.
These methods are "trial and error" because the flowers can be burned if embedded too long. About 10 days is the average if cornmeal is used, and about 16 days of drying is needed if sand is used.
Silica Gel: This may be used with sand alone or with the borax methods just described. Its designation is a misnomer for it is not a gel; it is granular. The material can absorb about 40percent of its weight with water. It is not cheap, compared to the materials mentioned above. It is appropriate for quick-drying flowers and for drying flowers with closely packed petals such as roses. When silica gel is used, the container should be sealed for maximum effect. The flowers will dry in about a week. The commercial material contains fine as well as coarse granules, which, in some cases, produce very small punctures of the petals. Silica gel may be oven-dried (at 300 ° F) and reused. It is blue when dry and light pink when it has absorbed water.
Oolitic sand: Most connoisseurs of the art of preserving flowers agree that the best material available for achieving excellent results is oolitic sand, a material found along the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
Oolitic sand is heavy, which puts steady pressure on the flower while it’s drying; it is smooth therefore, it doesn’t injure the flower; it is hollow, which enhances its ability to absorb water; and it has a relative high pH, which helps to preserve the flowers color. It may be reused.
Common sand: Clean sand can be treated to produce a product similar to oolitic sand. Builders sand or play sand should first be washed thoroughly. Put the sand in a bucket of water with a couple of squirts of liquid dishwashing detergent. Stir it and pour off the water. Then, continue to add fresh water (pouring it off, adding some, etc.) until the added water remains clear. Then, dry the clean sand. For quick drying, it may be placed in a 250 ° F oven on a cookie sheet.
Once the sand is dry, weigh 15 pounds and place it in a medium-hot oven on a cookie sheet until it is evenly heated throughout. Remove the heated sand from the oven and stir into it 3 tablespoons of melted paraffin wax, using a large spoon. After its cooled, add 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and 1 tablespoon of fine silica gel, distributing these throughout. The wax smoothes the sharp edges of the sand (but reduces its absorbency); the soda raises the pH (which preserves color); and the gel increases its absorbency. Like oolitic sand, this may be reused.
How much sand is needed? A 1-pound coffee can hold 4 pounds of sand, which is enough to dry one rose.
Often, dried materials lose some of their original colors. A practical approach to restoring colors to dried flowers is chalking them with a camel’s hair brush. The best grade of soft chalk can easily be grated on waxed paper and stored in plastic bottles for long-term use. Colors can be mixed to obtain exact hues. Once chalked, the flowers can be moisture-proofed with a spray like hair spray.
Water-Drying: Believe it or not, some flowers dry well if placed in water! The stems of the flowers are initially placed in a couple of inches of water, then the water is allowed to evaporate and be taken up by the cut flowers. The container and flowers should be in a dry, warm and dark location. Hydrangeas, yarrow, bells-of-Ireland and celosia dry well with this method.
Reply:Some people just spray them with hairspray
Reply:You have to use hairspray to keep the flowers intact.
How to make dried flowers?
Hi- I needed to dry some flowers after my mother died, and it went something like this....you take the flowers (I had roses), and you tie them together with twine. Then you hang them upside dowm in a dark closet for about three weeks or so (maybe shorter). When you take them out of the closet, you can spray them with urethane srpray if you want (I didn't). I got this by going onto Google and typing in How Do I Dry Roses? Try going onto Google like I did...they have good answers for some things, and my dried flowers are still looking wonderful after 2 years, and show no signs of rotting or wear. The roses did turn quite a bit darker, though, but I don't think you can help this. Good luck and go to Google.com! Warm regards.
How to make dried flowers?
Hang them upside down, and they will dry naturally.
Reply:You can use silica powder. Put them in a container with silica gel, brush some on them close lid,leave for a day. Open container, turn flower,brush on silica gel,close lid,open next day.Flower should be dry.Then spray with a varathane.
Reply:Oh, I just love "Dried Flowers!!" I live in the "Desert", and my kids %26amp; I used to go out in the fields, and pick "Babies Breath" and different kinds of "Wild Desert Flowers" and bring them back and put them in a vase, and they'd eventually dry out, and I'd just keep them in various vases, anyway!! Because even when they dried out, they were still very "Beautiful !!!" So, just do that!! Get you a bunch of cheap vases from like a "Dollar store" and place them in the vases, and wait it out.....Then, if you want to like get the sprays to make them look shiny, just go to a Walmart, or somewhere that sells crafts, and get the spray's to keep them from cracking, or to make them shiny, or whatever it is that your wanting to do with them, you know. Mine stay just fine, so long as no one in my house bumps them..... And to be honest, I dont think any spray's will work to keep them from breaking off , if bumped..... But, you can check any crafts store, for all of those sorts of needs... Good Luck, to you!! The "Babies Breath" are the prettiest, and they stay the same even when they dry, how cool is that!!! Smile!!!
Reply:there is a silicone type powder you can use.
my favorite way, this is how i dry herbs, is to hang them upside down. as was mentioned in the previous answer, they can be sprayed for a "tougher " flower. i also preferr not to! if you don't spray them, some flowers will retain some smell! in bunches, you won't be able to seperate them to form sdifferent arrangements after they are dried. if they are dried individiually, you can do more stuff with them.
please remember, not all flowers dry well. trial and error is how i figured out how to get them "just right"!
Have fun!
Reply:Good question, Id like to know myself
Teeth Whitening
How to make dried flowers?
Hang them upside down, and they will dry naturally.
Reply:You can use silica powder. Put them in a container with silica gel, brush some on them close lid,leave for a day. Open container, turn flower,brush on silica gel,close lid,open next day.Flower should be dry.Then spray with a varathane.
Reply:Oh, I just love "Dried Flowers!!" I live in the "Desert", and my kids %26amp; I used to go out in the fields, and pick "Babies Breath" and different kinds of "Wild Desert Flowers" and bring them back and put them in a vase, and they'd eventually dry out, and I'd just keep them in various vases, anyway!! Because even when they dried out, they were still very "Beautiful !!!" So, just do that!! Get you a bunch of cheap vases from like a "Dollar store" and place them in the vases, and wait it out.....Then, if you want to like get the sprays to make them look shiny, just go to a Walmart, or somewhere that sells crafts, and get the spray's to keep them from cracking, or to make them shiny, or whatever it is that your wanting to do with them, you know. Mine stay just fine, so long as no one in my house bumps them..... And to be honest, I dont think any spray's will work to keep them from breaking off , if bumped..... But, you can check any crafts store, for all of those sorts of needs... Good Luck, to you!! The "Babies Breath" are the prettiest, and they stay the same even when they dry, how cool is that!!! Smile!!!
Reply:there is a silicone type powder you can use.
my favorite way, this is how i dry herbs, is to hang them upside down. as was mentioned in the previous answer, they can be sprayed for a "tougher " flower. i also preferr not to! if you don't spray them, some flowers will retain some smell! in bunches, you won't be able to seperate them to form sdifferent arrangements after they are dried. if they are dried individiually, you can do more stuff with them.
please remember, not all flowers dry well. trial and error is how i figured out how to get them "just right"!
Have fun!
Reply:Good question, Id like to know myself
Teeth Whitening
Are silk or dried flowers better to use in floral arrangements?
dried flowers have a special place in interior floral arrangements. Silk flowers must be selected very carefully, lest your arrangement have a cheap and crass look.
Live potted flowering plants are best as the color and often scent will enhance the decor of any area where placed. Cut flowers are probably the most popular in floral arrangements, they just don't last
Are silk or dried flowers better to use in floral arrangements?
This page has tips from an expert that may help :)
Floral Design Tips
http://homegarden.expertvillag...
:) Report It
Reply:you could always combine the two together. I used to pick the dried flowers as a filler and used the selected silk flower as the focal point. I would then lightly scent the flower arrangement with some of my favorite Cologne.
Reply:used to co-own a flower shop and I can tell you that it all depends on what you intend to use the arrangement for (such as an event) and for how long. For long-term, home use, I would recommend a dried arrangement, but keep in mind that some dried flowers attract moths - which can lead to a host of problems. Silk is a nice alternative. You can find lots of silk flowers that look real and have amazing color. If the flowers are for a picnic or get-together, I would go with fresh. An empty coffee can or oversized coffee mug make nice containers.
Reply:i think so fresh flowers are the best but dried flowers stays longer
Reply:I find dried flowers a real pain. If you accidentally knock them or touch them at the wrong place, they break off and you have all kinds of bits and pieces flying around. You never want to have your windows open because even a breeze can send them into oblivion.
If you are going to do an arrangement of artificial flowers, silk is definitely the best way to go. Nowadays they are so real looking you can hardly tell they are artificial.
Live potted flowering plants are best as the color and often scent will enhance the decor of any area where placed. Cut flowers are probably the most popular in floral arrangements, they just don't last
Are silk or dried flowers better to use in floral arrangements?
This page has tips from an expert that may help :)
Floral Design Tips
http://homegarden.expertvillag...
:) Report It
Reply:you could always combine the two together. I used to pick the dried flowers as a filler and used the selected silk flower as the focal point. I would then lightly scent the flower arrangement with some of my favorite Cologne.
Reply:used to co-own a flower shop and I can tell you that it all depends on what you intend to use the arrangement for (such as an event) and for how long. For long-term, home use, I would recommend a dried arrangement, but keep in mind that some dried flowers attract moths - which can lead to a host of problems. Silk is a nice alternative. You can find lots of silk flowers that look real and have amazing color. If the flowers are for a picnic or get-together, I would go with fresh. An empty coffee can or oversized coffee mug make nice containers.
Reply:i think so fresh flowers are the best but dried flowers stays longer
Reply:I find dried flowers a real pain. If you accidentally knock them or touch them at the wrong place, they break off and you have all kinds of bits and pieces flying around. You never want to have your windows open because even a breeze can send them into oblivion.
If you are going to do an arrangement of artificial flowers, silk is definitely the best way to go. Nowadays they are so real looking you can hardly tell they are artificial.
Dried flowers?
Now that they are dry, I need some ideas on what to do with them. Thanks
Dried flowers?
At the library there are books on how to decorate with them. Most books are called dried flower art, or dried flower arragements. One of the cutest arrangements are gluing rose heads to a foam ball then putting them into a flower pot... classy lookin.
Or get the wall hanging vases. You can just have the bouquet hanging on the wall. (I'd do two at a time)
Dried flowers?
At the library there are books on how to decorate with them. Most books are called dried flower art, or dried flower arragements. One of the cutest arrangements are gluing rose heads to a foam ball then putting them into a flower pot... classy lookin.
Or get the wall hanging vases. You can just have the bouquet hanging on the wall. (I'd do two at a time)
How to clean dried carpet stain from water/flower preservative in vase!?
The dog knocked over a vase with flowers in, which also had water and flower preservative in (the sachets that you get with cut flowers). Didn't think would stain so just mopped it up. Next day when it had dried - well what a mess - our lovely cream carpet has turned the shade of orange - hmmm absolutely lovely - not. Can any kind person give me any tips on how I might be able to get rid of this stain or will it be embedded in our carpet forever?
How to clean dried carpet stain from water/flower preservative in vase!?
try the vanish powder you put in your washing. I clean carpets professionally and very often this is better than anything
Reply:I'm not sure what is in the preservative but you could try this solution it cleans all sorts of stains out of carpets.
SIMPLE SOLUTION Stain and Odour Remover.
You don't need a miracle to remove stubborn pet stains and odours, just a Simple Solution.
More than just an ordinary deodoriser, Simple Solution completely eliminates all organic stains and odours.
We're talking urine, vomit, faeces, blood, dirt, grass, red wine,Juice, coffee, tea, baby formula and more. Matter of fact, Simple Solution works the first time, every time! Guaranteed!
I use it to clean up after my Yorkie and it does work, its available at Pets at Home, most good Pet Shops or Online.
Reply:Some cola got spilt on a cream carpet of mine, I googled 'carpet stain removal' lots of sites with advice. The carpet is as good as new :o)
Reply:will what u can do is to get this thing at stop and shop its like this vacucleaner and it cleans very good
How to clean dried carpet stain from water/flower preservative in vase!?
try the vanish powder you put in your washing. I clean carpets professionally and very often this is better than anything
Reply:I'm not sure what is in the preservative but you could try this solution it cleans all sorts of stains out of carpets.
SIMPLE SOLUTION Stain and Odour Remover.
You don't need a miracle to remove stubborn pet stains and odours, just a Simple Solution.
More than just an ordinary deodoriser, Simple Solution completely eliminates all organic stains and odours.
We're talking urine, vomit, faeces, blood, dirt, grass, red wine,Juice, coffee, tea, baby formula and more. Matter of fact, Simple Solution works the first time, every time! Guaranteed!
I use it to clean up after my Yorkie and it does work, its available at Pets at Home, most good Pet Shops or Online.
Reply:Some cola got spilt on a cream carpet of mine, I googled 'carpet stain removal' lots of sites with advice. The carpet is as good as new :o)
Reply:will what u can do is to get this thing at stop and shop its like this vacucleaner and it cleans very good
Is it compressed flowers or dried flowers?
I receieved these roses for valentines day today and they're so beautiful i could keep them forever. One of my family friends kept the boquet from when she was bridesmaid about 7 years ago and she did something with them and then put them in a 3D frame and hung them on her wall. They look very pretty. I might take them to a florist see if she can dry them or something but it costs a fair bit ..... or so i'v heard.
I really like the framing idea of it. Does anyone know if it's a DIY activity or does it take professionals?
Thanks
Is it compressed flowers or dried flowers?
they are dried flowers.
i know several people who have done this to their wedding bouquets, its nice to keep them forever , especially after they cost so much!
unless you are very arty and crafty, i'd leave it to an experienced person.
i have tried drying flowers in a press, i dont always have great sucess with how they turn out.
ask around your local florists,
Reply:You can try drying it yourself.
One of the quickest %26amp; best way to preserve roses is by using Silica Gel.
Put about an inch of desiccating material at the bottom of an air-tight container made of plastic, glass or tin. Cut the flower stem to about a half an inch and stick this into the center of the material at the bottom to hold the flower. Next, pour the desiccating material along the perimeter of the container, away from the flower, building up a continuous mound of about an inch. Then tap lightly on the container and the material will move to the flower, not altering the form of the petals (in other words, the material will not weigh down the petals as it would if it were just poured on top of the flower). Continue adding the material, tapping on the container, etc. until the flower is completely covered. Lastly, add an inch of the material above the top of the flower. Seal the container %26amp; let it dry for 3-7 days. Check your roses after 3 days, because they can become brittle and the petals will break if left in the Silica too long.
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic1...
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/workshop...
You can use a mixture of borax and white cornmeal (2:1) or borax and sand (2:1) as a drying agent instead of Silica Gel.
Another way to dry your roses is to tie a ribbon around the base of their stems and hang them upside down in a warm, dark %26amp; dry room. Make sure you have good ventilation. Once they are completely dry (in 3-4 weeks) use a craft or flower sealing spray. You can display your roses in a decorative vase, or in a shadow box.
Good luck! Hope this helps.
dress shoes
I really like the framing idea of it. Does anyone know if it's a DIY activity or does it take professionals?
Thanks
Is it compressed flowers or dried flowers?
they are dried flowers.
i know several people who have done this to their wedding bouquets, its nice to keep them forever , especially after they cost so much!
unless you are very arty and crafty, i'd leave it to an experienced person.
i have tried drying flowers in a press, i dont always have great sucess with how they turn out.
ask around your local florists,
Reply:You can try drying it yourself.
One of the quickest %26amp; best way to preserve roses is by using Silica Gel.
Put about an inch of desiccating material at the bottom of an air-tight container made of plastic, glass or tin. Cut the flower stem to about a half an inch and stick this into the center of the material at the bottom to hold the flower. Next, pour the desiccating material along the perimeter of the container, away from the flower, building up a continuous mound of about an inch. Then tap lightly on the container and the material will move to the flower, not altering the form of the petals (in other words, the material will not weigh down the petals as it would if it were just poured on top of the flower). Continue adding the material, tapping on the container, etc. until the flower is completely covered. Lastly, add an inch of the material above the top of the flower. Seal the container %26amp; let it dry for 3-7 days. Check your roses after 3 days, because they can become brittle and the petals will break if left in the Silica too long.
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic1...
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/workshop...
You can use a mixture of borax and white cornmeal (2:1) or borax and sand (2:1) as a drying agent instead of Silica Gel.
Another way to dry your roses is to tie a ribbon around the base of their stems and hang them upside down in a warm, dark %26amp; dry room. Make sure you have good ventilation. Once they are completely dry (in 3-4 weeks) use a craft or flower sealing spray. You can display your roses in a decorative vase, or in a shadow box.
Good luck! Hope this helps.
dress shoes
What's the best way to press flowers within a 3 week time-frame?
Heya. I need to press dry some flowers, Lavandula officinalis (lavender) and Calendula officinalis (marigold) as part of an assignment due in 3 weeks time. What's the best method to use if you need to transfer them into an artbook and have them stay/stick without damaging the delicate flower heads? What type of materials will I need, and will plain blotting paper be ok? Part of the stem will also be dissected, will I need to use another method to dry that part?
Thank you! ^_^
What's the best way to press flowers within a 3 week time-frame?
What I always do is I take two tissues and place the flowers or plants between them, put heavy books above and below, and then put them in out side attic. I don't think pressing flowers usually takes more than a couple weeks. The marigold will definitely take longer than the lavender, so you might want to put a LOT of books on that one, because marigolds have such a thick sepal. You can place the whole flower in together, and tweezers are probably good for taking it from the tissue to the page. Only the thinner flowers are in danger of breaking by movement, so be careful with the lavender, you might even take the tissue directly above the page and carefully remove it and place it straight on your art book. what I've always done is to take decoupage glue and apply it in brush strokes with a wide paintbrush.
Reply:honestly? Put them in a dry room, not the living room cellar attic or room with cracks where moister might leak in and slow down the dry process, it would be best to hang them upside down, in a closed off, warm room. (keep a heater on in the room if you can!) after the flowers are dry place them in a heavy book, preferably the back of one, for about three days, then it should be safe to iron them to keep them flat!
Nicki Chaotic
Reply:You can press them quickly in a microwave oven too. Check this page at my site for some info on several ways to do it:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/mixing_med...
(... click on *Dried Nature* ...then scroll down to the section called "Quick-Drying Flowers %26amp; Plant Material--In a Microwave"...)
For any thicker wetter parts you want to press, just do them separately and adjust the time/etc since they won't dry out as quickly as the thinner parts.
HTH,
Diane B.
Reply:Generally, I've always pressed my flowers in big heavy books, I know that some one will not touch in at least 3 weeks.
Check out the web sites and hopefully they are helpful for your project.
Good luck.
Thank you! ^_^
What's the best way to press flowers within a 3 week time-frame?
What I always do is I take two tissues and place the flowers or plants between them, put heavy books above and below, and then put them in out side attic. I don't think pressing flowers usually takes more than a couple weeks. The marigold will definitely take longer than the lavender, so you might want to put a LOT of books on that one, because marigolds have such a thick sepal. You can place the whole flower in together, and tweezers are probably good for taking it from the tissue to the page. Only the thinner flowers are in danger of breaking by movement, so be careful with the lavender, you might even take the tissue directly above the page and carefully remove it and place it straight on your art book. what I've always done is to take decoupage glue and apply it in brush strokes with a wide paintbrush.
Reply:honestly? Put them in a dry room, not the living room cellar attic or room with cracks where moister might leak in and slow down the dry process, it would be best to hang them upside down, in a closed off, warm room. (keep a heater on in the room if you can!) after the flowers are dry place them in a heavy book, preferably the back of one, for about three days, then it should be safe to iron them to keep them flat!
Nicki Chaotic
Reply:You can press them quickly in a microwave oven too. Check this page at my site for some info on several ways to do it:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/mixing_med...
(... click on *Dried Nature* ...then scroll down to the section called "Quick-Drying Flowers %26amp; Plant Material--In a Microwave"...)
For any thicker wetter parts you want to press, just do them separately and adjust the time/etc since they won't dry out as quickly as the thinner parts.
HTH,
Diane B.
Reply:Generally, I've always pressed my flowers in big heavy books, I know that some one will not touch in at least 3 weeks.
Check out the web sites and hopefully they are helpful for your project.
Good luck.
I have many dried flowers?what should i do?
If they look very nice find interesting containers for them. I have used such items as old coffee pots, old boots, baskets. All sizes and shapes of things depending on your needs. Even a tin can with an interesting label. Adding some artificial leaves or eucalyptus. Be creative!
I have many dried flowers?what should i do?
Pitch em!
Reply:Throw them away! Dried flowers are clutter.
Reply:Make potpurri?
Reply:Put them in bowls around your bedroom and bathroom. Yo can sprinkle them in your sock drawer. I even have some scattered around the base of my candles.
Reply:Depends how to look, if they have stems, then you can do some flower arrangements and put it in vast. If they are too short, then get a styrofoam circle and put the flower on them. If they are in small pieces, such as petals and leaves, then make potpurri.
Reply:Oh honey you must get some water on them quick!
Reply:find some kind of unique glass piece with a top to put them in. if some of them still have stems use a piece of ribbon or anything and tie some of them together like a bouquet
Reply:Make wine.
Reply:Spread it on your bedsheet just like a true princess.
practice dance shoes
I have many dried flowers?what should i do?
Pitch em!
Reply:Throw them away! Dried flowers are clutter.
Reply:Make potpurri?
Reply:Put them in bowls around your bedroom and bathroom. Yo can sprinkle them in your sock drawer. I even have some scattered around the base of my candles.
Reply:Depends how to look, if they have stems, then you can do some flower arrangements and put it in vast. If they are too short, then get a styrofoam circle and put the flower on them. If they are in small pieces, such as petals and leaves, then make potpurri.
Reply:Oh honey you must get some water on them quick!
Reply:find some kind of unique glass piece with a top to put them in. if some of them still have stems use a piece of ribbon or anything and tie some of them together like a bouquet
Reply:Make wine.
Reply:Spread it on your bedsheet just like a true princess.
practice dance shoes
How do you make dried flowers?
i have a lovely rose i want to send by post
How do you make dried flowers?
There are several ways to preserve the fresh beauty of flowers for years in their natural vivid colors without a great deal of work or expense. The two easiest and least expensive methods are sand-drying and air-drying.
Sand Drying:
Sand-drying can be used to dry a wide variety of flowers, such as roses, tulips, dahlias, marigolds and snapdragons. Flowers which last only one day, like day lilies, do not dry well. Do not dry asters, azaleas, chrysanthemums, geraniums, petunias, phlox, pinks, poppies or violets. But feel free to do your own experimentation.
To prepare for sand-drying, cut the flowers at the peak of their show as any imperfections will be exaggerated by drying. Pick the flowers after the dew has fully evaporated. Make sure the stems are dry.
Prepare the flowers by reinforcing the stems and blossoms with florist's wire or with white glue. For daisy-type flowers and flowering shrubs, push a 6" piece of wire through the stem and right through the flower head; bend the end of the wire into a hook over the flower head and then pull it down, thus securing the 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 the wire as above. For many-petaled flowers, use glue instead of wire. Diluting the white glue with a drip of water and using a toothpick, dab a thin coat of glue at the base of each petal, working the glue into 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 dried face-up. Make the sand deep enough to hold the flowers in an upright position, position the flower carefully and slowly pour the sand around the base of the flower, then around the sides and under and over the petals. Pour the sand evenly and slowly in order to preserve the natural shape of the blossom.
Daisy-type flowers should be dried face down. Make an even base of sand in the box and make a little dip in the sand the same shape as the flower. Hold the flower steady and carefully build up the sand around the blossom until it is fully covered.
Snapdragons, lilac, elongated flowers and flowering branches should be positioned horizontally in the sand, flowering branches face up. Carefully pour the sand around and between the flowers and into individual blooms. A soft artists' brush will help you in lifting the blossoms slightly as you pour the sand so that they won't be flattened by its weight.
When all the flowers are completely covered with sand put the drying box in your drying area and leave undisturbed for one to three weeks.
Removing the sand should be done very carefully, tipping the container slightly, allowing the sand to flow slowly from one corner 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 them in airtight containers such as tins or plastic boxes sealed with masking tape, or in sealed cardboard boxes enclosed in airtight plastic bags.
Sand Preserving Leaves:
Place the leaves in a pan and cover them with dry, hot sand. Allow this to cool. Remove the leaves and smooth them with a hot iron. Dip them in colorless varnish and let them dry.
Large leaves can be painted with aluminum or bronze paint. Dip them into a clear plastic paint to set them firmly.
Air Drying:
Air-drying can be very successful with herbs, everlastings and ornamental 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 each bunch into a fan shape. Hang the flowers head down from nails in a dry, dark place for one to three weeks until they are completely dry. The colors will usually be muted. Display your flowers in the house or store them as above.
This method works with roses as well. Cut the stems off to the very bottom of the rose head, and carefully insert a 6-8" length of wire. Hang upside down by bending the end of the wire over a hanger and place in a dark dry closet where it won't be disturbed. One hanger can accomodate several flowers, just space them apart a bit.
Drying With a Desiccant:
Another method of drying flowers is to use a desiccant drying mixture such as silica gel, borax, cornmeal or alum. The following recipe uses a combination of silica and borax.
Simply mix a combination of four parts of borax to one part of silica gel. You can make your mixture by hand; the borax should be run through a sieve before mixing with the gel to remove any lumps.
You should treat all of the flowers to be preserved immediately after picking. Cut off the stems close to the base of the flower. In the bottom of a plastic bag or an air-tight jar put down a layer of the preserving powder and lay a blossom face down on the powder. Pour some additional powder over the flower until it is well covered. Then lay another flower face down and cover it, repeating the procedure until the bag or jar is full. Put on your lid, or if using a bag, press down on it lightly to squeeze out all the air. Tie the bag tightly with string as close to the contents as possible to prevent air from coming in.
Now put your flowers and powder mixture away in a dry place for about four weeks without peeking at it. Never store it out of doors.
At the end of the four weeks, open the container very gently and remove the blossoms one at a time, blowing the powder off them. Now you have preserved flowers in their garden freshness.
Glycerine Drying
This method keeps some flowers soft and pliable for easier handling and less shedding. Try this method with eucalyptus, baby’s breath and statice. According to "Martha", this is the best way to preserve leaves.
You will need:
Vegetable glycerine, (available at Pharmacies)
Water
A glass or enamel container large enough to hold the flowers upright
A hammer
Freshly cut flowers or leaves
Mix 1 part vegetable glycerine to 2 parts hot tap water, using enough to make the mixture about 2 inches deep.
Smash the bottom inch or two of the flower stems to help them absorb the glycerine quickly. (One or two whacks with the hammer is all you need.)
Place the flower stems in the glycerine-water mixture, and leave 3 to 5 days so the flowers can absorb the glycerine. (Baby’s breath can take 1 to 2 weeks, wait until the stems turn tan.) You can tell when the flowers have absorbed enough glycerine by the way they look and feel. A good way to test if they are ready is to let one stem air dry and compare it to the flowers in the glycerin after a few days. If the air dried flower feels dry and the flowers in the glycerine feel soft and look slightly darker in color they're probably ready to be taken out of the glycerine mixture.
Cut off the part of the stem that was setting in the glycerin. Allow the flowers to air dry for a week or so before storing. The glycerine/water mixture can be reused several times.
Waxing Flowers:
You may want to experiment with waxing fresh flowers. This too is simple; just melt some paraffin wax and plunge each individual flower into the wax. Remove and shake the excess wax off each flower. Put it into the refrigerator to set and harden.
Preserving Holly
I use a solution of 2 parts boiling water and 1 part glycerine plus plenty of food coloring to maintain the green color. Immerse them in the solution. Some greens uptake the solution and through the stems and some don't. So it is best to imerse the whole stem if you are not sure. I think a nice bath of the wax solution of (acrylic floor wax, 4 parts water to 1 part wax, with some color added) would be a nice finish to help lock in the moisture, and give the leaves a nice shine.
TIPS!
Plan Ahead!
Handling dried flowers must be done very carefully, as they tend to crumble and fall apart. If possible, think ahead about what you will be doing with the flowers after they've dried. If you think you'll be using them in a vase, you'll need long "stems". Insert the wire before you dry the flowers. They are much easier to handle when "live" and pliable. If you decide you don't need "tall" flowers later, you can always cut the wire to the length you need.
Wrap 'em up
Unless your flower arrangements are VERY thick, wire "stems" will show through. Hide them by wrapping green or brown florist's tape around the base of the flower, stretching and overlapping as you move down the wire until it's completely covered. You can also attach leaves to the wire as you wrap, making for a very nice "natural" look.
For Brighter Colors:
Rapid drying in a very warm, dry and brightly-lit place will produce bright blossoms; slower drying in a more humid spot will produce more muted colors.
After your flowers have dried, spray lightly with a fixative. Some craft stores carry products specifically for spraying and "fixing" dried flowers (try Design Master Super Surface Sealer). I have even painted my dried flowers. I've taken white and pink roses that had dried an ugly muted yellow and painted the tips of the petals with a light coat of color, using diluted acrylic paint or an antiquing wash
Reply:Put it in a zip lock bag. Zip the bag shut, with leaving a space for a straw. Put the straw in the spot reserved for it and suck all the air out of it and then put it in the freezer.
Reply:put it between the pages of a book to keep it flat
Reply:hang it upside down for several days. Thats the easiest way to go about drying flowers. But you can also go to Michaels (the art store), i think that they sell stuff to do that.
Reply:get flowers, dry them
Reply:1. Start with a flower.
2. Dry it.
3. 2 points.
Reply:Hang them upside down let them air dry, I saw it on T.V. last week.
Reply:You need to put the flower in a book with really absorbant pages. I don't know how you feel about this but the bible works great, or if you have another book with the same type of pages. Leave it in there for a few days alternating the pages and it's dried.
Reply:roses = romance = something to do with dating - ok
DRIED flowers? erm not sure this is in the right catagory hun! xx
Reply:If you want to send it in the mail the best way to dry it is to flatten it. Put it between two pieces of paper and put it inside a book then put stuff on top of the book thats heavy. Then wait about a week and it should be dry. If you don't want to flatten it then hang it up side down to dry and then spray something on it to keep it strong. My friend uses clear nail polish on hers and it stays really hard.
Reply:while its still moist, spray with hairspray and flatten it inside a large heavy textbook for a few days. Then respray and let it dry and send it away.
The hairspray should keep the petals from falling off.
Another way to dry flowers is to hang them upside down for about a week but then they wont be flat enough to mail, thats good for making dried bouquets.
Good luck
How do you make dried flowers?
There are several ways to preserve the fresh beauty of flowers for years in their natural vivid colors without a great deal of work or expense. The two easiest and least expensive methods are sand-drying and air-drying.
Sand Drying:
Sand-drying can be used to dry a wide variety of flowers, such as roses, tulips, dahlias, marigolds and snapdragons. Flowers which last only one day, like day lilies, do not dry well. Do not dry asters, azaleas, chrysanthemums, geraniums, petunias, phlox, pinks, poppies or violets. But feel free to do your own experimentation.
To prepare for sand-drying, cut the flowers at the peak of their show as any imperfections will be exaggerated by drying. Pick the flowers after the dew has fully evaporated. Make sure the stems are dry.
Prepare the flowers by reinforcing the stems and blossoms with florist's wire or with white glue. For daisy-type flowers and flowering shrubs, push a 6" piece of wire through the stem and right through the flower head; bend the end of the wire into a hook over the flower head and then pull it down, thus securing the 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 the wire as above. For many-petaled flowers, use glue instead of wire. Diluting the white glue with a drip of water and using a toothpick, dab a thin coat of glue at the base of each petal, working the glue into 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 dried face-up. Make the sand deep enough to hold the flowers in an upright position, position the flower carefully and slowly pour the sand around the base of the flower, then around the sides and under and over the petals. Pour the sand evenly and slowly in order to preserve the natural shape of the blossom.
Daisy-type flowers should be dried face down. Make an even base of sand in the box and make a little dip in the sand the same shape as the flower. Hold the flower steady and carefully build up the sand around the blossom until it is fully covered.
Snapdragons, lilac, elongated flowers and flowering branches should be positioned horizontally in the sand, flowering branches face up. Carefully pour the sand around and between the flowers and into individual blooms. A soft artists' brush will help you in lifting the blossoms slightly as you pour the sand so that they won't be flattened by its weight.
When all the flowers are completely covered with sand put the drying box in your drying area and leave undisturbed for one to three weeks.
Removing the sand should be done very carefully, tipping the container slightly, allowing the sand to flow slowly from one corner 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 them in airtight containers such as tins or plastic boxes sealed with masking tape, or in sealed cardboard boxes enclosed in airtight plastic bags.
Sand Preserving Leaves:
Place the leaves in a pan and cover them with dry, hot sand. Allow this to cool. Remove the leaves and smooth them with a hot iron. Dip them in colorless varnish and let them dry.
Large leaves can be painted with aluminum or bronze paint. Dip them into a clear plastic paint to set them firmly.
Air Drying:
Air-drying can be very successful with herbs, everlastings and ornamental 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 each bunch into a fan shape. Hang the flowers head down from nails in a dry, dark place for one to three weeks until they are completely dry. The colors will usually be muted. Display your flowers in the house or store them as above.
This method works with roses as well. Cut the stems off to the very bottom of the rose head, and carefully insert a 6-8" length of wire. Hang upside down by bending the end of the wire over a hanger and place in a dark dry closet where it won't be disturbed. One hanger can accomodate several flowers, just space them apart a bit.
Drying With a Desiccant:
Another method of drying flowers is to use a desiccant drying mixture such as silica gel, borax, cornmeal or alum. The following recipe uses a combination of silica and borax.
Simply mix a combination of four parts of borax to one part of silica gel. You can make your mixture by hand; the borax should be run through a sieve before mixing with the gel to remove any lumps.
You should treat all of the flowers to be preserved immediately after picking. Cut off the stems close to the base of the flower. In the bottom of a plastic bag or an air-tight jar put down a layer of the preserving powder and lay a blossom face down on the powder. Pour some additional powder over the flower until it is well covered. Then lay another flower face down and cover it, repeating the procedure until the bag or jar is full. Put on your lid, or if using a bag, press down on it lightly to squeeze out all the air. Tie the bag tightly with string as close to the contents as possible to prevent air from coming in.
Now put your flowers and powder mixture away in a dry place for about four weeks without peeking at it. Never store it out of doors.
At the end of the four weeks, open the container very gently and remove the blossoms one at a time, blowing the powder off them. Now you have preserved flowers in their garden freshness.
Glycerine Drying
This method keeps some flowers soft and pliable for easier handling and less shedding. Try this method with eucalyptus, baby’s breath and statice. According to "Martha", this is the best way to preserve leaves.
You will need:
Vegetable glycerine, (available at Pharmacies)
Water
A glass or enamel container large enough to hold the flowers upright
A hammer
Freshly cut flowers or leaves
Mix 1 part vegetable glycerine to 2 parts hot tap water, using enough to make the mixture about 2 inches deep.
Smash the bottom inch or two of the flower stems to help them absorb the glycerine quickly. (One or two whacks with the hammer is all you need.)
Place the flower stems in the glycerine-water mixture, and leave 3 to 5 days so the flowers can absorb the glycerine. (Baby’s breath can take 1 to 2 weeks, wait until the stems turn tan.) You can tell when the flowers have absorbed enough glycerine by the way they look and feel. A good way to test if they are ready is to let one stem air dry and compare it to the flowers in the glycerin after a few days. If the air dried flower feels dry and the flowers in the glycerine feel soft and look slightly darker in color they're probably ready to be taken out of the glycerine mixture.
Cut off the part of the stem that was setting in the glycerin. Allow the flowers to air dry for a week or so before storing. The glycerine/water mixture can be reused several times.
Waxing Flowers:
You may want to experiment with waxing fresh flowers. This too is simple; just melt some paraffin wax and plunge each individual flower into the wax. Remove and shake the excess wax off each flower. Put it into the refrigerator to set and harden.
Preserving Holly
I use a solution of 2 parts boiling water and 1 part glycerine plus plenty of food coloring to maintain the green color. Immerse them in the solution. Some greens uptake the solution and through the stems and some don't. So it is best to imerse the whole stem if you are not sure. I think a nice bath of the wax solution of (acrylic floor wax, 4 parts water to 1 part wax, with some color added) would be a nice finish to help lock in the moisture, and give the leaves a nice shine.
TIPS!
Plan Ahead!
Handling dried flowers must be done very carefully, as they tend to crumble and fall apart. If possible, think ahead about what you will be doing with the flowers after they've dried. If you think you'll be using them in a vase, you'll need long "stems". Insert the wire before you dry the flowers. They are much easier to handle when "live" and pliable. If you decide you don't need "tall" flowers later, you can always cut the wire to the length you need.
Wrap 'em up
Unless your flower arrangements are VERY thick, wire "stems" will show through. Hide them by wrapping green or brown florist's tape around the base of the flower, stretching and overlapping as you move down the wire until it's completely covered. You can also attach leaves to the wire as you wrap, making for a very nice "natural" look.
For Brighter Colors:
Rapid drying in a very warm, dry and brightly-lit place will produce bright blossoms; slower drying in a more humid spot will produce more muted colors.
After your flowers have dried, spray lightly with a fixative. Some craft stores carry products specifically for spraying and "fixing" dried flowers (try Design Master Super Surface Sealer). I have even painted my dried flowers. I've taken white and pink roses that had dried an ugly muted yellow and painted the tips of the petals with a light coat of color, using diluted acrylic paint or an antiquing wash
Reply:Put it in a zip lock bag. Zip the bag shut, with leaving a space for a straw. Put the straw in the spot reserved for it and suck all the air out of it and then put it in the freezer.
Reply:put it between the pages of a book to keep it flat
Reply:hang it upside down for several days. Thats the easiest way to go about drying flowers. But you can also go to Michaels (the art store), i think that they sell stuff to do that.
Reply:get flowers, dry them
Reply:1. Start with a flower.
2. Dry it.
3. 2 points.
Reply:Hang them upside down let them air dry, I saw it on T.V. last week.
Reply:You need to put the flower in a book with really absorbant pages. I don't know how you feel about this but the bible works great, or if you have another book with the same type of pages. Leave it in there for a few days alternating the pages and it's dried.
Reply:roses = romance = something to do with dating - ok
DRIED flowers? erm not sure this is in the right catagory hun! xx
Reply:If you want to send it in the mail the best way to dry it is to flatten it. Put it between two pieces of paper and put it inside a book then put stuff on top of the book thats heavy. Then wait about a week and it should be dry. If you don't want to flatten it then hang it up side down to dry and then spray something on it to keep it strong. My friend uses clear nail polish on hers and it stays really hard.
Reply:while its still moist, spray with hairspray and flatten it inside a large heavy textbook for a few days. Then respray and let it dry and send it away.
The hairspray should keep the petals from falling off.
Another way to dry flowers is to hang them upside down for about a week but then they wont be flat enough to mail, thats good for making dried bouquets.
Good luck
HELP!!! How do you dry out flowers?
i need to now how to dry out flowers.
first im going to dry out a single rose
but i also need tips on drying out a big thing. its like a bunch of flowers on cement in the shape of a heart. but i need to no what to use and how to do it ?
HELP!!! How do you dry out flowers?
clean the flower with water. this is every important.
put them in a soaking paper (anything like blotting paper, old newspapers etc) and put them under something heavy. I use the area between my boxspring and mattress.
leave it there for a week and change the paper every 2 days to avoid fungi.
Reply:I dry out my flowers by simply hanging them upsidedown. If you want them in a specific shape then arrange them how you want either hanging upside down or laying flat. You can pin them to make them go in a particular shape and when theyare dry they will stay that way
Reply:Well, you can either hang them to dry in a cool dry place or you can purchase silica gel or sand from a craft store. I've never heard of drying flowers on cement, but I would think that if the cement got to hot then it would damage the flowers. If you dry them naturally without the help of silica then you need to do it slowly and you do that by hanging them. If you use the silica then you can put the flowers in any shape you like after they have dried.
Good Luck
Reply:I don't know too much about this, but I do know that to try a flower out, you should hang it from something upside down.
first im going to dry out a single rose
but i also need tips on drying out a big thing. its like a bunch of flowers on cement in the shape of a heart. but i need to no what to use and how to do it ?
HELP!!! How do you dry out flowers?
clean the flower with water. this is every important.
put them in a soaking paper (anything like blotting paper, old newspapers etc) and put them under something heavy. I use the area between my boxspring and mattress.
leave it there for a week and change the paper every 2 days to avoid fungi.
Reply:I dry out my flowers by simply hanging them upsidedown. If you want them in a specific shape then arrange them how you want either hanging upside down or laying flat. You can pin them to make them go in a particular shape and when theyare dry they will stay that way
Reply:Well, you can either hang them to dry in a cool dry place or you can purchase silica gel or sand from a craft store. I've never heard of drying flowers on cement, but I would think that if the cement got to hot then it would damage the flowers. If you dry them naturally without the help of silica then you need to do it slowly and you do that by hanging them. If you use the silica then you can put the flowers in any shape you like after they have dried.
Good Luck
Reply:I don't know too much about this, but I do know that to try a flower out, you should hang it from something upside down.
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