| Flower |
Drying Instructions |
| ASTILBE |
Hang to dry. Better in silica. |
| BABY’S BREATH |
Hang on stems |
| BELLS OF IRELAND |
Cut when lower bells turn. Put stems in glycerin solution (1 parts glycerin/2 parts water) for 2 weeks. Can be hung but turn brown. Remove corellas and Leaves run Elmer’s glue along the stalk before drying. |
| BITTERSWEET |
Plastic spray improves appearance |
| BLACK EYED SUSANS |
Dry either upside down or treat as roses |
| BUTTERFLY WEED |
Dries upside down. Pick when about ¾ of plant is in full bloom. Better dried in silica |
| CHINESE LANTERNS |
Pick green, hang upside down |
| CLOVER (RED) |
Remove stems, insert wire. Dry upside down |
| COCKSCOMB |
If damp, stand upright until dry Hang upside down in the dark |
| CORN |
Pick when mature. Pull back husks and hang |
| DAHLIAS |
Shorten stem to ½ inch. Cut 2 to 3 inch length of florist fine wire, make hairpin bend ¼ to ½ inch at one end; thrust other end through center of dahlia and pull through. Bend wire to right angle of flower. Place flower in ½ inch of sand in shallow box. Fill in around flower with sand, then sand over petals. Shake box. Continue in this manner until entirely covered. Store in box or wire rack. |
| DAISIES |
Upside down in silica. Common 3 days; Shasta 4 days; Gloriosa 5 days |
| DELPHINIUM |
Place horizontally in box with ½ inch of silica on the bottom. Hold in place with under petals just touch sand. Gradually filter sand around and over spike |
| DEUTZIA |
Hold in place while gradually sifting silica over |
| DOCK |
Gather at all stages, hang quickly to retain color |
| DUSTY MILLER |
Hang upside down |
| FERNS |
Press between newspaper placed between magazine pages of under rugs |
| FEVERFEW |
Dry in silica |
| GLOBE AMARANTH |
Wire then stand to air-dry |
| GLOBE THISTLE |
Cut before bracts are fully open, dry upside down |
| GOLDENROD |
Ready about July 1. Early variety is best. Gather when ¾ head in full bloom, before upper florets are open, air-dry |
| GOURDS |
Dry in open onion bag turning occasionally |
| GRASSES |
Strip off main leaves, hang, cut oats when gray green in color |
| HYRANGEA |
Dry in silica like deutzia. Peegee in Sept. Hills of snow in July. Pink and blue in Aug. |
| JOE PYE WEED |
Cut before buds open, hang to dry |
| LARKSPUR |
Hold in place while sifting silica over |
| LOBELIA |
Dry as larkspur in the fall |
| LOVE-IN-THE-MIST |
Dry upside down in sand |
| MARIGOLDS |
Flower head down in slight depression in silica, then fill silica around and over slowly |
| MILKWEED PODS |
Cut when pale green |
| MOCK ORANGE |
Treat as deutzia |
| MONEY PLANT OR HONEST PLANT |
Dry before removing outer covering of discs |
| MULLEIN |
Dry rosettes upright with shredded paper or aluminum foil between leaves. |
| OKRA |
Cut before frost |
| OLD MAN’S LOVE |
Hang upside down |
| PAULOWNIA TREE |
Seed pods, gather green, remove seeds |
| PEONIES |
See roses |
| POPPIES |
Gather seed pods |
| ROSES |
Buds and ½ open roses. Pick totally dry. If open, petals must be glued. Place a tissue over bottom of box. Thrust rose stems into holes. Place shallow box into deeper box to accommodate rose stems. Hold each rose in place as sand poured around bud. When sand is ½ way up rose, filter sand slowly over petals, let it fill in between petals. Gently shake box. Continue filtering sand over roses until entirely covered. Give another shake. Add more sand if petals show. Dry in hot dry attic 4 to 5 days. Gently pour out sand. Hang roses. |
| SALVIA |
Treat as delphinium |
| STRAWFLOWERS |
Pick before fully opened. Cut stems to ½ inch, insert wire as in dahlias air dry |
| TANSY |
Dry upside down |
| TEASELS |
Dip in laundry bleach to whiten |
| YARROW |
Dry face down, stem up in sand |
| ZINNIAS |
Treat as dahlias |
