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Clinton News-Record, 1980-04-17, Page 35111 The Nationai,Garden Bureau sent us this article by Amalie Adler Ascher, ° .author and lecturer on flower arranging and drying, • "Make the most of garden flowers by drying, Memfor arrangements. The method is simple and involves burying blossoms ina drying. ,agent to preserve their natural look, "Most kinds of garden flowers can be dried bat.the most satisfying are zinnias, marigolds, roses, small dahlias and asters. Car- nations and II)chrysan- themums tend to shrivel and lose petals. "The two best agents are silica gel and sand of the sort sold for sandboxes. Sand is the least expensive if you want to dry in quantity. Any •gh• can serve as receptacle. Line the container with. wax paper. "Silica gel reduces drying time and produces the brightest color. For this you'll need a cake tin with a tightfitting lid. "The technique ,of covering is the same and both agents are reuseable. 6 rest thein horizontally, ,dap Directions for 'drying silica gelare on the package sand does not need. to be oven dried. "Gather flowers when moisture content is low, not following rain, nor when they are wet with dew, or after standing in an arrangement. Pass up blossoms that show signs .of age; they'll' shatter when dry. Dave equipment ready so ,you can process immediately.. "Remove the stems from • zinnias, marigolds and other similar flowers. Replace stems with a 2 -inch length of 19 -gauge floristwire inserted into the blossom. Lay daisy- type blossoms facedown on a 1 -inch layer of drying agent. Begin by pouring sand or „silica gel around the edge of .Mals, ilin • it up to the base of the wire stem. "Thicker and more in- tricately shaped flowers like marigolds should be placed face up. "As you build the outside, fill in between the. petals to equalize pressure and prevent -mashing. "Follow a similar procedure with spiky blooms such as snapdragons, but the edges •of the box to el nunate air pockets. Cover any exposed parts of blossoms. You can leave the box open if using sand. Mark thlfrdat and ,flower name to. estimate time for removal, "Never mix, flowers of different types nor stack in more than one "layer, "Drying ''time varies aca. Cording to flower bulkor thickness, , In silica. gel, simple,, open flowers ay take only two, or three days while thick, bulky marigolds may require five days, to `a week or mere, depending On size. In .sand, flowei s lose moisture mord slowly. "In any case, avoid un- covering until blooms are completely dry. Premature exposure causes irreyers4h1e wilting. Test first —V. ; brushing off enough of tie" agent to-feerfire tip er -a petal. If crisp, pour off the rest. "Well -dried flowers will last one or two years if carefully handled to avoid shattering. Arrangements should be displayed in a dry room, out of direct sunlight- K or high humidity that can fade dried flowers or cause then to collapse." Pressing 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 greetingcards and candles, or cast in resin. Here are some hints. Amalie A. Ascher demonstrating drying with sand Glorious glads Gladioli require daily attention to win prize ribbons at horticultural shows. Gardeners can train their flowers by - tying- -t-hem to stakes, says Burke McNeill,. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food ex- tension horticulturist. This produces the long, straight spikes that judges prefer. "Check the spikes every day, loosening the ties, to prevent crooked stems," he says. "If this is not done regularly, crooked flowers will soon result." While staking the gladioli rows, watch for diseased plants. They should be removed and destroyed. To select spikes for display, Mr. McNeill says flowers with well-spgced florets facing the front are the best choice. One-half of the florets should be in bloom, with the balance in bud or showing color. "Side shoots are common en gladioli. If these are not removed prior to • cutting, snip them before showing," says Mr. McNeill, Stems 20 inches long are ideal for a fanlike bouquet. M!40 Cutting the flowers just before the show, and ,stan- ding . them in fresh, clean water ensures a longer life. A• colorful, well-balanced• array- of gladioli is a likely candidate for prize ribbons at flower exhibitions. Affectionately known as "glads' by gardening en- thusiasts, these flowers are striking additions to floral decorations. After the shows, care is needed for gladioli remaining in the garden. Withered flowers and leaves indicate that food has been stored for next year's growth in the new corm -A thickened underground stein unique to gladioli and crocuses. Corms should be dug up and allowed to dry indoors for one to two weeks. Spraying with a fungicide, such as benlate or benomyl, is adequate protection against storage diseases during the winter months. Dusting with sevin, for thrip confrol, is recommended. Treated corms are likely to winter well in a storage cellar and have a head start for next year's season. Yellow and pink flowers seem to retain their color best. Pick flowers just before or at full blossom. Buds can. be picked at any stage. 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. :surnmer. It presses and dries easily, Try it on candles as part of your design. The petals of but- tercups can be pressed` separately from the stems ' and leaves. You will need paper, press and tweezers. Different types of paper ca l e used; blotting papet., paper - toweling, newsprint. The press can range from one of masonite or plywood sheets with clamps to using car- dboard as separators. Books orbricks 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 of 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 .has a 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 will normally take one month. Check periodically for dryness. When ready to remove from the paper, 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 combinations of arrangements before you actually make 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 preserving nature's beauty for longer than one season. GO MOTHER NATURE ONE BETTER! Designing your own landscape is a great deol of fun. And, it offers many challenges to creative gardeners, since even Mother Nature's work can be improved. Once you've worked out your landscape design, be sure to keep it permanently beautiful with a regular program of watering, pruning, and protective maintenance. Move that old wreck out of your backyard and into ours! 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