HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-04-26, Page 49•
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Page 1'8
Why not dry your flowers
The National Garden Bureau
sent us this article by .-1 maize
Adler Ascher, auth'lir and lei
turer on power arranging and
drying
"Make the most of garden
flowers by,drying them for are
rangements. The method is
simple and involves burying
blossoms in a drying agent to
preserve their natural look.
"Most kinds of garden
flowers can be dried but the
most satisfying are zinnias,
marigolds, roses, small dahlias
and asters. Carnations and
chrysanthemums tend to shrivel
and lose petals.
"The two best agents are sil-
ica gel and.sand of the sort sold
for sandboxes. Sand is the least
Nxpensive if you want to dry in
quantity. :my box or pan with
tight seams an serve as recep•
tacle. Line the container with
wax paper.
"Silica gel ;, rt;ti,µces drying
time and produces the brightest
color. For this you'll need a
cake tin with a tight fitting lid.
"The technique of covering is
the same and both agents are
reuseable. Directions for drying
silica gel are on the package:
sand does not need to be oven
dried.
"Gather flowers when mois-
ture content is low, not follow-
ing ram. nor when they are wet
with dew, or after standing in
an arrangement. Pass up blos-
soms that show __signs of age:
they'll shatter when dry!•Have
equipment •ready so you can
,process immediately.
"Remove the stems from zin•
nias, marigolds and other sim-
ilar flowers.(Replace sterns with
a 2 -inch length of 19 -gauge
florist wire inserted into the
blossom. Lay daisy -rope biose
soros tact•duwn un a' 1 inch
layer ut drying agent. Begin by
pouring sand or silica gel
around thredge'of petals, pile
ing it up to the base of the wire
stem.
"•I•hicker and more intri•
catelv shaped flowers like
marigolds should be placed
face up.
"As you build the outside. fill
in between the petats•to••equal-
ize pressure and prevent
mashing
"Follow a similar procedure
with spiky blooms such as snap-
dragons, but rest them horizon:
tally. I•ap the edges of the box
to eliminate air pockets. Cover
any exposed parts of blossoms.
You can leave the box open if
using sand. Mark the date and
flower name to estimate time
for removal.
"Never rnix flowers of dif-
ferent types nor stack in more
than one laver. -
"Drying tient• caries accord-
ing to flower bulk or thickness.
In. silica gel. simple, open
flowers may take only rwo or
three days while thick, `bulky
marigolds may require five days
to a week or more depending
on size. In sand. flowers lose
moisture more slowly.
"In any case, avoid unco6er•
ing until blooms are completely
dry. Premature exposure causes
irreversible wilting. -1•est first
by brushing off enough of the
age-rw-to feel the tip of a petal.
If crisp. pour off the rest.
"Wc•l1•dried flowers will last
one or two years if carefully
handled to avoid shattering.
Arrangements should be dis•
played in a (Iry room, out 'of
direct sunlight or high humidity
that can fade dried flowers or
cause,thcru_io collapse.'•
Amalie A. Ascher demonstrating drying with sand
Pressing also saves flowers
Pressing flowers is easy, say
crafts specialists with the home
economics branch, Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and
Food..It is a hobby you can enjoy
and use to make attractive gifts.
Pressed flowers can be placed in
frames as pictures, used in
greeting cards and candles, or
cast in resin.
Here are some hints. Yellow
and pink flowers seem to retain
their color best. Pick flowers just
before or at full blossom. Buds
can be picked a;, any stdge.
Some flowers that press well
are pansy, violet, cosmos, daisy,
heather, lavender, Queen Anne's
lace, zinnia and buttercup. Queen
'Anne's'lace' is abundant -in fields
in summer. It presses and dries
easily. Try it on candlestas part of
your design. The petals of but-
tercups can he pressed
separately from the stems and
leaves.
You will need paper, press and
tweezers. Different types of
paper can be • used; blotting
paper, paper toweling,
lie wisp! 'pr.— she" piess�atl Parr '
from one of masonite or plywood
sheets with clamps to using
cardboard as separators. Books
or bricks can be the weights.
`To press. the flowers, lay down
. your masonite or cardboard and
place your blotting paper or
layers of toweling on this surface.
The flowers should be placed
individually so they do not
overlap. Place another piece cif
paper down, then another board.
Repeat layers. You -can press five
to six layers at once. On -top of
these layers place heavy bricks
or books, or use clamps. Change
toweling every day for the first.
few days to absorb moisture and
preserve the color.
If a flower_hasa high center,
place it face up. When sheets are
placed on top, prevent flattening
by cutting a hole to allow for the
depth of the centre. Press until
dry. Small flowers may take
three weeks; large ones wilt
normally take one month. Check
periodically for dryness. When
ready to remove from thep_aper,
use tweezers as the flowers will
be brittle'. •
Experimenting is the key.
Press different types of flowers,
wildflowers, stems, leaves,
grasses. When they are dried and
pressed, try different com-
binations of arrangements before _
you acri aglym k •up your ar-
ticles. Ideas for arrangements
can be found in books, greeting
cards, plaques and candles. •
Pressing flowers is a simple,
inexpensive method of preser-
ving nature's beauty for longer
than one season.
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Bayfield Road
ERRY+I\EW HOLLAND