It’S A Perfect Time For Drying Flowers

The Inland Empire District of Federated Garden Clubs will host their annual Garden Affair at Center Pointe, 1408 N. Washington on Sept. 26-27. The two-day event promises to be filled with exquisite floral designs, horticulture displays, a plant sale and a group of outstanding lecturers speaking on a variety of garden-related topics.

Beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Laverle McCandless will introduce us to the topic of hybridizing gladiolas. Loraine Howard will discuss back-yard ponds at 3:30 p.m. and to round out the day, at 5:30 Clyde Hasse will talk about new and renewed landscaping.

At 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Karen Strohmarir will share her talents on drying flowers and herbs, followed by Lisa Collins at 2 p.m. discussing plantings that attract birds.

I wouldn’t want to choose between any of these topics, but the subject of drying flowers is so appropriate for this time of year. As the days get shorter and the cold air begins to move in, soon, our beautiful gardens will be only a memory. By collecting a few of our favorite flowers now, we can preserve a part of our garden for a lifetime. We can press them in books, cluster them on wreaths or gather them into elegant bouquets for the mantle.

There are a number of methods for preserving flowers, such as air drying, desiccation, pressing, water drying, glycerin treatments or microwaving.

Air drying has to be the oldest method. There are a couple of drawbacks to this technique, however. Some flowers have a tendency to shrink and some to change color. Reds fade to black or brown while pastels and whites take on an antique appearance (which isn’t all that bad).

It doesn’t take much to air dry flowers, just a dark, warm room with good air circulation. If the flowers are exposed to light, they may fade. Without air circulation, they may mold and rot before drying.

Although most flowers can be hung upside down in small bunches, large flowers such as hydrangea and peony do better resting on a wire rack in an upright position.

Though this method is excellent, I prefer using a desiccant such as silica gel. Calling it gel is a bit misleading, since the texture of this material is more of a fine sand than a gooey mixture as the name implies.

Desiccants have the ability to draw moisture out of the flower. Cornmeal, borax and sand have been used for many years for this purpose, giving us lovely flowers but a bit faded. Silica gel on the other hand, seems to preserve the color and the integrity of the flower. The gel is expensive but it can be saved and reused for many many years. To reactivate, simply spread a shallow layer of the gel in a large cake pan and warm it slowly in an oven for a couple of hours.

I don’t know of any flowers that can’t be dried by using the gel. I have dried everything from roses to the delicate blossoms of fuchsia. Begin by finding a container with a tight lid. The size and number of flowers will dictate the size of the container. Fill the bottom with a couple inches of the silica sand. If you are drying single-petal flowers, turn them face down. Multiple petal flowers are dried face up. Begin pouring sand around the outside of the petals. This will support the outer petals as you gradually add sand to the interior of the flower.

Eventually, the entire flower should be covered. Once this is accomplished, close the container and set it in a warm spot for a week or so, depending upon the density of the flower.

The foliage of plants can also be preserved by using a mixture of glycerin and water. This includes those holiday boughs that shed their needles long before the presents are unwrapped.

Try this: Peel the bark back about a half inch from the base of the stem. Set the prepared end into a gallon of warm water mixed with 1 tablespoon of salt. Let it sit for 24 hours. Next, mix one part glycerin to two parts hot water. Stand the stem into 4 inches of this solution.

When the glycerin is completely absorbed, about four or five days, the stem should be preserved. The leaves should take on a soft, leathery appearance.

And finally, a word about microwave drying. I have found the best method is taking a microwave dish and filling it with an inch or so of silica gel. Set the flowers on top of the sand and cover them completely with the sand. Turn the microwave to the defrost setting and warm the flowers for two to four minutes. Let them sit for about 10 minutes. Gently remove the gel. If they still aren’t dry, repeat the process for 1 to 2 minutes, watching the flowers closely. I would experiment on a few nontreasures first, just to be on the safe side.

These are only the highlights of skills involving drying and preserving flowers. Karen Strohmarir will elaborate on these methods along with other techniques, storing ideas and drying herbs.

A dried collection of flowers from your garden can be a priceless specimen.

The Garden Affair hours are 12:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 26 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 27. Admission (which gets you in both days) is $4, free for children under 12.