Monday, February 27, 2012

How to Get Pressed or Dried Flowers

Various cultures agree on the identification of flowers with that which is attractive. Even the most vibrant, beautiful flowers unfortunately have to perish at some point once severed from the main shrub. Fortunately, there is at least one answer to this: drying.

One can think of many occasions for drying flowers. Most people do dried flowers after getting a lot of blooms as presents. The season following winter is usually a perfect time for drying blooms.

Air drying is arguably the most elementary way to dry flowers. One has to prune the stems until they are smooth and have no leaves before putting together the flowers to be dried. Upside-down is the best way to go when hanging air-dry flowers, and you may secure them with whatever you think best, from a piece of line to a simple bit of rope.

One crucial point here is that you should not clump flower bundles too much, or they might take longer to dry. It is recommended to hang blooms upside-down because this means you can retain the straightness of each stem. Be certain that the flowers hang with the heads pointing to the floor, or you might have to put up with sad, bent stems afterwards.

The flowers need to be kept out of direct sunlight, preferably in a dark room. The buds need to be removed from photo contact as soon as possible as prolonged exposure to the sun will cause their colors to fade. Make sure to never have any dampness in the room if you want to dry flowers, or you may end up with rotten pieces.

Wait at least two weeks before testing whether the air-dried blooms are ready yet or not. This procedure's actual length of time taken up is dependent on environmental conditions as well as how much water is in the flowers. You may choose to just go back to the hanging bundles after some weeks, but you may also want to give them a peek every now and then to see if everything is going well.

If the flowers you are using are naturally moist, you may turn to chemical agents such as silica gel. You may even dry flowers by pressing them between sheets of paper and pressing down on them. Silica gel drying is the fastest technique at less than a week, while pressing may take as long as or even longer than air drying.

After your flowers have been dried properly, you can start thinking of applications for them. Wreaths, bouquets, topiaries and potpourri can be made using dried blooms. If you want a simple use for them, just get a vase, put the flowers in it, then put the vase wherever you want.

Of course, as is true of all ornaments, these blooms may eventually collect dust. Give preserved flowers a dusting every now and then for best results. Placing mothballs nearby keeps away rodents and other pests that might be interested in wiping out your lovely arrangement as a snack.

The most beautiful blooms may be kept much longer if they are dried, so you can still enjoy them out of season. Turning flowers into dried ornaments gives them longevity as well as versatility. If you do not want to have to throw out the flowers you value so much after they wilt, drying is a great procedure to learn.


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