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Answers to your gardening questions |
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Complimentary Copy of "Keys to the Garden Gate" Five-part article series on flower-drying starts here Eight-part article series on vegetable gardening starts here Asian
Lily Beetles Japanese
Beetles An
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The
Drying Game - Part 2 of 5
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Welcome through Fred's Garden Gate! In the first in this series of articles on flower-drying, we learned that many flowers and seed heads could be hung in a dry room, dried and preserved with much of their shape and color intact. Once dried, these preserved morsels of summer past may be arranged into attractive bouquets and displayed in baskets or vases. This time we'll tackle a trickier process: drying some of the more delicate and intricate blossoms in sand. Large flowers like roses, carnations, daisies, delphiniums and many others not only lose their shape, but most fade to brown if simply hung out to dry. First, a word or two of caution. Most sand-dried flowers are extremely fragile, shattering at the slightest misadventure. A playful kitten or curious child will quickly turn a beautiful flower into a handful of fragments resembling breakfast flakes. The entire process briefly described below must be undertaken slowly, very deliberately and with the lightest touch. The final requirement is patience. A flower removed from its sandy bed too soon - before it is completely desiccated - will quickly shrivel to ruin...so don't be too anxious. Sand Probably the most difficult first step is finding just the right sand. If you're willing to spend a little extra, most larger craft stores either have in stock or can order sand best suited to the purpose. You'll need about fifteen or twenty pounds to get started. Since sand specifically manufactured for the purpose is completely reusable, it should last a while, especially if it's kept reasonably clean. Silica gel is too tricky (and too expensive) for the beginner, experimenter or for anyone on a limited budget. It dries flowers very quickly but must be timed almost to the exact, "just right" moment. Silica sand (or "glass sand"), on the other hand, is perfect, much more pleasant to handle and is considerably less expensive. It is almost pure white and looks like fine granulated sugar. Beach sand, masonry or "sharp" builder's sand and road sand is irregular and dirty, and may leave an unpleasant and difficult-to-remove residue on your dried specimens. Take the time to find just the right kind. Containers Sturdy shoe boxes are just about perfect for drying flowers. Round cardboard oatmeal containers work well, too, but can be a little awkward. Both have close-fitting lids and are stable, not being easily upset. Plastic bags and glass jars are not suitable; neither are grocery or lunch bags. We'll stop right here to give you a week to find some sand and gather up a few mush or shoe boxes. Also, run down a paper cup or two, and a small, soft artist's paintbrush. Finally, if you're the type who salvages and recycles such things, a block of dried-out "Oasis" - spongy, green blocks which florists use in arrangements - will make a handy place to temporarily hold the finished, dried specimens. Part 3 continues, and includes where to find flowers this time of year, and we'll tackle the actual process of drying one or two. It also includes a list of "best-bets" for drying, and some photos. |
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