Re: OT DRYING FLOWERS
- Subject: Re: OT DRYING FLOWERS
- From: C* M* M*
- Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 11:35:55 -0700
From: "Carryl M. Meyer" <carrylm@bigsky.net>
I have been drying many different flowers for several years now--started
with Dahlias and baby Roses, have progressed to Columbine, smaller Iris and
Daisy-type flowers--
Silica Gel--available from craft stores and Wal-Mart--wear a mask when
using, the tiny air-borne particles can cause lung problems
Metal Cans--I use cans which had contained cookies, etc--you do not want
the sg to be too depp, as the weight of several inches of sg will tend to
crush petals of the lower flowers--
I learned to put the flowers upside down--pour a mound of sg, seat the
flower in the mound, and pour in around it--earier to get the areas under
the petals completely full
Store the dried flowers in clear plastis take-out containers with a small
package of Silica Gell--like comes in pill bottles--
Display in arrangements--works great to take a glass dome and put a couple
flowers into it--stays dry and do not get dusty--
Be sure to not 'over-dry' the flowers--then they are quite brittle
There are several good books out--one is for drying them in the micro-wave
in sg--
This year I am progressing to the larger Iris--BB's and TB's--
If the colors react the same as Dahlias--pinks and oranges come out quite
well--
Solution to too small a yard and too long a 'wish-list'--
Get your club to start a 'club garden'--when you want to toss one out of
your yard to make room for newer onew--goes to club garden--
when you want a new introduction--buy it for the club garden
when you want new colors and have no room in your yard--buy it for the club
garden
Our club has a budget for new plants--many members cannot afford new ones,
so the club purchases them, so that the judges can see them growing and how
they survive--
Really great way to have many in bloom and not all the work with them--
One year we contacted hybridizers and asked for three each--then sent
reports and pictures back so they knew how their iris did in our cold
area--takes some time and effort to do the reports, but it was worth it--
Carryl in Western Montana--where it is warm again and snow is gone so
finally get to clean up the beds before the next storm arrives--
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