You may preserve all of your fresh flowers Melbourne-wide for as long as you like by drying flowers. Dried flowers can be used to beautify your home and can last for a long time. Dried flowers are the solution if you want to decorate your home with everlasting roses, make permanent flower arrangements to hang in your bedroom, or use potpourri to fill your home with fragrance. Here’s a quick guide on how to dry flowers.
Air Drying
The oldest technique of drying flowers is air drying. You tie a number of little bouquets together and hang them upside down to let the flowers air dry. Due to the length of time required for flowers to completely dry without the addition of an accelerant, this procedure takes two to four weeks to finish. Making dried flowers for table centrepieces or decorative accents throughout your home is a terrific use for air drying.
Using Microwave
You can microwave your flowers by placing them in a dish with a desiccant, such as silica gel or cat litter, which helps the plant dry out without going limp. The microwave method is excellent for flower heads or smaller plants rather than complete bouquets because you can witness the results in a day as opposed to waiting weeks.
Desiccant Method
To get rid of their moisture, you can simply place your flowers on a bed of desiccant, such as kitty litter or silica gel, and let them sit for a few weeks. While it takes longer than microwaving your flowers, this method can better keep their colour.
Baking Method
When you bake flowers to dry them, you place your blooms in a low-temperature oven and bake them there for a couple of hours. Although it is a rapid procedure, you could lose a lot of petals in the drying process. Additionally, this method is not ideal for keeping your flowers’ colours vibrant.
Pressing Flowers
Flowers that have been “pressed” are those that have had their moisture removed using heavy items. Flowers can be dried effectively for crafts, artwork, or stationery by pressing them.
Flowers Best For Drying
Because they have less water than other flowers and can withstand the lengthy drying process, small, hardy flowers like hydrangeas, amaranth, lavender, baby’s breath, celosia, and strawflower work well with air-drying. The heat of the oven or microwave won’t harm large, dense flowers or those with open-faced petals like roses, tulips, zinnias, and chrysanthemums.
Tips to Dry Flowers
To prolong their shelf life and lessen the possibility of petal loss, choose flowers that are just beginning to open when choosing ones to dry. Choose flowers that are not wilted, damaged, or compromised in any way. Choose a dry location free of humidity with a slight cross-breeze to dry your flowers. Dry your flowers out of direct sunlight because the light will cause the colour of your flowers to fade. Only cut your flowers after any morning dew has dried. The healthiest flowers will hold their integrity for a longer period of time.
