About Drying Flowers

Dried flowers are a wonderful addition to your home décor.  You can use them in potpourri, in wreaths, on door swags or in picture frames.  Flower drying is a wonderful way to preserve that beautiful bouquet from someone special. They can be air dried or pressed, dried with a drying agent or dried in the microwave.

Most people who enjoy dried flowers do so because of their decorating opportunities.  The added benefits of drying flowers are that they last a long time and demand little care, they are inexpensive to buy, and the drying process is inexpensive as well.

An easy method to dry flowers is to hang them upside down in clusters.  They should then be placed in a dark, well-ventilated area such as a closet.  To prepare the flowers for drying, be sure to remove any foliage and tie them in bunches by the stem.  You can tie them with a string, rubber band or twist tie and suspend them from a hanger or nail.  The time it takes for the flowers to dry is right around three to five weeks.  Flowers that are best suited for hang drying include bachelor’s buttons, larkspur, strawflower, chrysanthemums, baby’s breath, lavender and goldenrod.

Another way to dry flowers is to use a granular desiccant such as silica gel, borax, kitty litter, sand or corn meal.  A common drying compound consists of one part borax and 3 parts white cornmeal.  To start, place about two inches of the compound or silica gel in a container with a lid.  Place the flowers on top of the compound and gently cover with more of the compound until completely covered.  Replace the lid.  The drying process usually takes around one to three weeks.  When dry, gently remove the flower, keeping in mind that it will be brittle.   Flowers suggested for drying with a desiccant include marigolds, dahlias, pansies, painted daisies, roses and black-eyed Susans.