Dried Pressed Flowers:Drying Large Flowers
I have noticed that the best dried flowers are large flowers like sunflowers, chrysanthemums, zinnias, dahlias, marigolds, asters, roses, pansies, carnations and daisies. However, it is not easy to dry these flowers because of their size. Most often it is difficult to air dry these flowers because the petals are so closely clustered that they turn rotten.
So, how do I dry large flowers so that I can retain their beauty and make them last longer?
I dry certain flowers like hydrangeas, roses and chrysanthemums by using the process of water drying. Surprised! But it is true. When I use this method of drying, I have never had to snip the stalks off. The first thing that I do is to remove the leaves from the stalks. Then I place the flowers in a bowl with two inches of water in it. I make sure that the bowl is kept in a dry, dark and warm room. The water will be absorbed by the stalks and it will evaporate. Once the flowers have dried, I use them to make some great floral arrangements that are placed in and around my house.
With flowers like hyacinths and magnolias I use desiccants. Silica gel is the most popular desiccant that is there in the market though some people like to use borax. For drying with desiccants, I make use of a wooden box. If you do have one, you can use a kitty litter too. Another option that I use is Tupperware since they make very good airtight containers. I place a one inch thick layer of silica gel in the box and then I place the flowers face down. I sprinkle more silica gel on the flowers till they are completely covered. I know that the process is working since the silica gel turns from blue to pink as it absorbs the moisture. I check the flowers to make sure that they have dried properly. The problem with this method is that it is slightly unpredictable since we can never know when the flowers have dried well.
if I need to dry the flowers faster then I microwave them. However, this method doesn’t work with all flowers. Instead of using a wooden container or box, I use a microwave safe container with a lid and dry the flowers using silica gel. I have found that micro waving them at fifty percent power for two to three minutes works fine for even larger flowers. I remove the flowers immediately since otherwise they might turn brittle. Marigolds, zinnias and chrysanthemums can be dried using this method.
Another popular and cheaper method for drying is sand drying. For this I use a container that can comfortably hold the flowers with their stalks. I put in a one inch layer of sand and place the flowers face down after which I put in another layer of sand but I make sure that I don’t cover all portions of the flower except for the petals and stem. The flowers dry well especially if I leave the container in a warm and dry area.
Drying larger flowers takes anywhere between a week to a month. But whatever be the method used, the results are always excellent if done correctly.
