Best Methods for Drying Flowers

With my new expanded garden I have so much more flowers and I was struggling to find ways to use them. I researched different ways to use them and one of them was pressing and drying the flowers. So I started learning how to do this. I found that there were so many methods. Silica gel, hang drying, machine pressers, book pressing, so which one works best?  

Hang Drying 

Hang drying is the simplest form of drying. It involves stripping the leaves off a bunch of flowers and tying them up to dry in a dark dry spot. For more information see the link below to read the drying flowers article. I found this works well, but only with certain flowers. This list is the flowers that work best with this method. 

• African Marigold

• Anise hyssop

• Cornflower

• Globe Thistle

• Globe amaranth

• Lady's Mantle

• Larkspur

• Lavender

• Mealy Cup Sage

• Love-in-a-mist - seed heads

• Marjoram

• Pompom Dahlias

• Poppy - seed heads

• Roses

• Starflower

• Statice

• Strawflower

• Yarrow

If you’re unsure about your flowers it doesn’t hurt to try to dry them. That’s how I found out with a lot of my flowers. 

Silica Gel Drying

This method is rarely simple, but it doesn’t always preserve as well as the others. This method is good for more delicate flowers like zinnias, dahlias, and more delicate roses. To dry this way pour a layer of the silica gel onto the bottom of a bowl or tub with a lid. Place flowers in and cover with silica. Replace lid and store in a dark dry place for one to two weeks. For the best result cut flowers in late morning before they gotten too much sun and are already dry but after they have dried off from the dew. Do not dry flowers wet or they will grow mildew and mold. You may find some bugs living in your flowers once they are in the container. Check flowers every couple days to clear out any of these little guys so that they don’t cause unnecessary bacteria to grow on your precious blooms. 

Water drying

This method may sound oxymoron but it is a real thing. I use this for my hydrangeas and it works super well. All you have to do is place stems in a jar of water that goes to about half the stem’s length. It it best to dry flower that are on the older side a little past their harvest time. A huge note I found is; do not over fill your jar the hydrangeas need air to flow between them. Just let the hydrangeas sit in the jar until the water is gone and by that time they should be dry. I leave my flowers in  just a day longer so they can become fully hardened and ready to be placed in their permanent home.