Drying Flowers from Your Garden

There is a touch of fall in the air (finally). It is almost time to take a last look at the flowers in your garden. Before long the first frost will ruin the last of most of your beautiful blooms. However, if you want, you can continue enjoying some of this beauty during the dreary winter days. You can preserve some of the flower’s summer beauty by drying them.
There are several methods used to dry flowers. They all begin with the same simple steps. First thing is to cut flowers in the morning after the dew has dried. Choose flowers that have just unfurled their petals. Select blooms that are without any insect damage or disease. Use sharp scissors or floral snips to cut the stems. Place the stems in a bucket with a little water in the bottom to keep the flowers fresh until you get them indoors.
The easiest and most common way to dry flowers (as well as ornamental grass and seed pods) is air drying. Hang these materials upside down in groups of 8 to 12 stems, in a warm, dry, area out of the sun with good air circulation. Flowers are ready to be used in two to three weeks when they are crisp. Air-drying works well for many flowers, such as: baby's breath, roses (although buds will close), hydrangeas, strawflower, yarrow, bachelor buttons, all ornamental grasses, and many herbs.
Flowers with lots of moisture in the petals such as sunflower, aster, zinnias black-eyed Susan, will dry better when placed in a desiccant (a substance that sucks the water out) than when air-dried. Using desiccants is better for maintaining a flower’s natural shape and color.
Popular desiccants are silica gel, borax, and sand. Silica gel is a porous crystalline substance that absorbs moisture. This material will dry flowers quickly and will provide the highest quality of dried flowers. Silica gel can be purchased at most floral and craft stores. Silica gel crystals are expensive but may be used indefinitely. The crystals turn from bright blue to pinkish gray as they absorb moisture. They can be reused after drying in a shallow pan in a warm oven (250-275o F) for several hours or few minutes in a microwave oven.

Using borax for preserving flowers has an advantage in that the flowers hold their shape and shrinkage is minimal. Flower color remains fairly true to color except pinks and reds may vary. Also, if the flowers remain in borax too long, they become brittle and lose their petals. A mixture (1:1 up to 6 parts) borax and corn meal (white or yellow) or sand is generally recommended. The mixtures may be sifted, dried and used over and over.
Silica sand is very fine white sand that works similar to the silica gel. It is also sold in craft stores. A cheap alternative is to use play sand which is available in 50 pound bags at hardware stores. Sand is heavy and must be added gently when applying to the flowers.
To use a desiccating agent, start by spreading a layer of it in a shallow container with a tight fitting lid. The shape of the flower will determine how to arrange them for drying. Flowers with long stems can be placed flat on the surface. For large, flat flowers like sunflowers, cut the stem to a half inch and place this in the sand or gel so the flower is facing up.
Next, pour the desiccating material along the outer edge of the container, away from the flower. After building up a continuous mound of about an inch, then tap lightly on the container to move the material to the flower. By doing this gradually, the material will not weigh down the petals as it would if just poured on top of the flower. Continue adding material and tapping on the container until the flower is completely covered. Be sure that an inch of the desiccant material is above the top of the flower.
Flowers in silica gel dry fast, often within a week. Borax combinations and sand will take two to four weeks to dry flowers thoroughly.
If this is too slow for you, consider putting the filled container in a microwave Make sure container is microwave safe! Microwaving time, depending on container size and flower type, is from 1 to 3 minutes. Put a container of water in the microwave along with the flowers to prevent excessive drying.
After cooking, leave the flower in the drying material for a period of 10 to 36 hours, again depending on the flower type. Experiment with a single flower first to determine the optimum microwaving times.
After the flowers are dry, carefully remove them from the drying agent and gently brush off remaining material with an artist's paintbrush. Experiment with plant materials and methods to find the drying process that works best for your situation.
There are many ways to use dried flowers. Use them in bouquets, as wreath decorations, holiday centerpieces, shadow boxes, and even fresh flower arrangements. Supplement your dried decorations with cones, pods, lichens, abandoned wasp nests, or moss for that woodsy, natural look. Store unused dried flowers in closed plastic bags to prevent possible infestation by insects.
Be creative! Do not limit your preserving experience to just flowers. Nature supplies a vast number of interesting shapes in twigs, seed pods, and leaves. Some suggestions are over-mature okra pods, iris and hibiscus seed pods, purple coneflower or rudbeckia seedheads and seedheads of ornamental grasses. Any dried plant material can add to an arrangement so do not overlook leaves with interesting shapes, sedges, grasses, or weeds. Happy drying!

Glorious Goldenrods

To me, one of the first signs that fall is near is the appearance of the golden yellow flowers on goldenrods. These perennial plants grow throughout the United States. The goldenrod will grow in practically every type of soil and climate from the mountains to the roadside to the swamp. Eighty-five species have been identified in the United States, the species varying with the locale.

A popular misconception is that goldenrod pollen contributes to hay fever. Only pollens such as grasses or ragweed that are spread by the wind cause hay fever. Goldenrod is insect pollinated and thus incapable of causing the hay fever reaction unless people stick their nose into the flower.

Powdered goldenrod leaves were once imported into England to use to heal wounds. Solidago, the genus name for goldenrod, comes from the Latin word solidare which means "to unite" - a reference to the plant's healing power. During colonial times, tea was made from goldenrod leaves. After the Boston Tea Party, goldenrod tea was often referred to as "liberty tea".

Goldenrods are so abundant in nature that generally only wildflower lovers plant them in their garden. However, in the last decade or so, selections of goldenrod have appeared in flower or seed catalogues. Scented goldenrod has scented foliage. Elmleaf goldenrod has elm leaf-like leaves. S. bicolor has creamy-white flowers. Also, compact versions such as 'Peter Pan' are available.

This fall, while you are sneezing and weeping from hay fever do not blame the glorious goldenrod. Instead, wipe away those tears and enjoy their regal splendor.