Don't you wish that fresh bouquet of flowers you received for a special occasion could last forever?
We're here to tell you that they can!
If you make the small effort to dry them, they will be around for as long as you want. And it's not just a bouquet that you can dry. With garden flowers about to wilt as the heat intensifies and they come to the end of their season, cut your lavender, salvia and other summer flowering plants and bring them indoors for a different perspective.
The traditional way to dry flowers is to make sure there is no moisture in the flower or on the stem, then gather them into small bunches and tie up with string. Many flowers, especially roses, droop at the top of the stem when they begin to fade, so hanging them upside down fixes this effect.
The bunches then need to be stored in a dry, dark place with good ventilation for a couple of weeks. Anywhere near the kitchen, laundry or bathroom means the air has too much moisture and will hamper, even stop, the drying process.
This drying process means the petals will shrink a bit and lose some of their vibrant colours, but instead they’ll have that pretty faded, vintage look.
HOW TO AIR DRY FLOWERS
1. Pick the flowers you wish to dry. Flowers that have just bloomed or are about to bloom are ideal.
2. Remove any heavy foliage from below the head of the flowers. Flowers weaken when dried so it’s important to keep them trim.
3. Split your flowers into bunches of the same flower type of no more than 6-7 flowers per bunch.
4. Tie each bunch towards the end of the stems with an elastic band. Avoid string as the stems will shrink when drying.
5. Hang your tied flowers upside down from a nail, hook or coat hanger in a dry, dark, relatively warm room away from direct sunlight (this can fade color).
6. Leave to dry for 2-3 weeks and check regularly after the first week. You will know when the time is right as petals will gently rustle and become rigid.
7. Preserve flowers with hairspray (optional)
To strengthen & protect your dried flowers lightly spray each stem individually with a burst of hair spray. This will also set their shape and give them shine.
Download, pin or save the list below to refer to later or share with a friend who you think would like to try out this centuries old air drying technique.
Will you try out this method and preserve one of your floral bouquets from Henry's Place?
If you do, please share a photo and tag us so we can see the end result.
Have a great weekend and happy flower drying!!!!
Adam & Eric