4 techniques to dry flowers

Enjoy spring flowers in the middle of winter "eternalize" that significant bouquet that someone very special has given you or remember the flowers of your country in any corner of the world.

You don't have to be an expert to achieve an original dried flower arrangement. The perfumed potpourri for example is made by collecting flowers, leaves, berries, wild fruits, herbs and mosses, put to dry with nuts (wrapped in a bag made of tulle). To perfume it, you put everything in a container with a non-metallic lid and pour the perfume over a limestone filling.

Put the lid on and leave it for four weeks. Garlands are also easy to make. To make them, the leaves, flowers and all the previously dry plant material that you have selected are placed with the help of a flower wire wrapped in a hard rubber foam ring. They can also be glued with great care.

Some techniques for drying flowers

Drying flowers is a relaxing and entertaining activity, so I invite you to put into practice the techniques of how to dry flowers that I leave you below.

1. Pressing technique

This technique is ideal for small flowers with thin stems. You can use wax paper. We place the flowers on the paper and then we put another one on the flowers and put it inside a book or heavy object, the heavier the better, for approximately ten days.

1. Air drying

It is the easiest and most widely used method. It only consists of hanging the chosen material (in its full maturity), in small bundles, preferably of the same species. You should hang them in a place as dark as possible, not very hot or very humid. The drying time varies depending on factors such as the material used, temperature, humidity, etc.

1. Dried with borax, silica gel

Another drying technique is to use powdered borax, silica gel, sand, or any of the proprietary blends available today. This method is very effective for flowers, which retain their color and shape in all their splendor.

• Make sure that the flowers are well dried and conditioned, then proceed to prepare a square tin box (of the cookies), and cover its bottom with borax. Then make a 15mm checkered wire mesh base, halfway down the depth of the box. Cut this wire mesh slightly larger than the box so that the edges of the box will support it.

• Then begin to insert the flowers by their stems, separated from each other, water them with borax on top, until the powder reaches the very center of the flower and penetrates between all its petals. Make sure the edges don't bend.

• Put the box in a dry place. This technique is used for the other drying methods as well. When the flowers look sturdy and dry, you can remove them carefully and store them preferably in a box with borax or silica gel crystals, in a dark place. You can use borax or silica gel crystals repeatedly.

1. Drying with glycerin.

Collect the material (not very wide branches) before the stems begin to lose their sap. A few hours before starting the glycerin drying technique, submerge them completely in water. Mix glycerin and water in equal parts. Place the stems in a container with the solution (10 cm high), try to secure them in place and keep them there for two to three weeks. After that time, take them out and hang them with the ends down for several days until the glycerin is well adhered.

Dried flowers are ideal for decorations and if they are perfumed they create a beautiful and relaxed atmosphere, so if you like flowers, do not stop putting these techniques into practice.

Thanks for reading me.

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