Drying Roses

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I am wondering if anyone knows how to dry roses? Is it different from other flowers? I want to try to preserve my anniversary bouquet! Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), November 20, 2001

Answers

You should hang them up side down in a draft free area, out of direct light. Happy anniversary.

-- Wendy A (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), November 20, 2001.

My wife just left hers in the vase. The water dried up, and the roses dried beautifully.

Russ

-- Russ (rwhitworth@sprint.ca), November 20, 2001.


Drying rose buds are as easy as Wendy says. The lighter color roses work better than the dark red ones (which dry almost brown and dead looking). Trying to dry the fully open roses don't do quite as well as the buds. Other flowers in the arrangement may be saved, also. Statice is a very common component of floral arrangements. Statice is a cylindrical stem with small flowers growing up the stem. It is usually dry to the touch even when in the arrangement. Most commonly dark blue or purple it may be other colors.

Scoopable cat litter (any brand) is useful (and reuseable) to dry other flowers. If you wish to dry a daisy, mound the litter deeper than the flower petals are long, in a tall container. Place the flower stamen and pistils down onto the mound of litter, and very carefully pour more litter into the container, completely covering the flower, with enough to support the stem in an upright position

If you want to supplement your floral arrangement, some wild flowers work well for drying, also. Queen Anne's Lace (a wild member of the carrot family) can be dried this way, or simply hung upside down also. Pretty as is, Queen Anne's lace can be lightly spray painted other colors, too.

For a very different look, hydrangea flowers can be picked from the bush and dried in their natural color, or wait till they dry on the bush (usually to a pale tan color). These flowers can be very lightly spray painted various colors, also.

MissJudi

-- MissJudi (jselig@clemson.edu), November 20, 2001.


Thank you guys, I had tried red roses in the past and they did not do right, this year I have pink and they should do nicely. Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), November 21, 2001.

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