The drying process - Part 1: The golden rules

The Drying Process - Part 1: The Golden Rules

When it comes to drying flowers, there are a number of rules that you really need to stick to if you want to get good results. Generally, the fussier the flower, the more rigidly you should stick to these rules.

Rule 1: The Right Temperature

• Dry your flowers in a space that has an ambient room temperature, meaning it's neither too hot nor too cold.
• If you dry things too quickly – in the heat of a conservatory, for example – the stems will become very brittle and may snap.
• If you dry your stems in a cold space, the process may be too slow and there is a risk that mould will grow on your flowers instead.

Rule 2: Avoid Direct Sunlight

• You might have heard that you need to dry flowers in complete darkness, but while this isn't necessarily true, you do need to keep them out of direct sunlight.
• Direct sunlight will make your stems brittle and may bleach your flowers too, muting their colour.

Rule 3: Low/No Moisture Level

• If you try to dry your stems in damp conditions, you'll find it very difficult, so your room needs to be completely dry, without moisture in the air.
• This means it's easier to dry flowers in a house than in an outbuilding, which would likely require using a dehumidifier.
• Avoid drying flowers in the kitchen or the bathroom because of the steam generated by cooking and heating water.

An Exception to the Rule

• If you want to create white bleached stems, then you can dry certain sturdy flowers, like Ammi (Ammi majus), in your greenhouse for around a week.

Some Different Drying Techniques

Strawflowers

• Strawflowers are ready to pick once the flower centre is formed and starting to show, but note that the flowers will close up in wet weather, though you can still harvest the stems then, and then during the drying process, the flowers will unfurl, revealing their beauty.
• When cutting strawflowers for bouquets, cut a long stem with a full flower and some buds attached, as the buds will open out a bit, giving you some more delicate blooms.
• Before drying, strip all the leaves off the stem to ensure good airflow around the stem as it dries.
• You can hang between 5 and 10 stems in a bunch together, which should give them enough space to dry properly.
• Consider what area of your house will work best for drying your flowers, and then once decided, you could make a feature out of this area by hanging them from an old branch, or even hang them in a cupboard under the stairs.
• Use natural twine to tie the stems of your flowers together, taking care to tie them tightly, as the stems will shrink as they dry.
• Make a loop at the top of your string so you can hang it up.
• The flowers will take between two and three weeks to dry.
• Follow a similar process for Statice Sinuata and Acroclinium.

Sedum

• Remove all the leaves.
• Put the stems in a vase with a tiny bit of water at the bottom and leave to dry in situ.
• This will allow the stems to dry from the top down.

Rudbeckia

• Place upright in a vase with a tiny bit of water.
• The flowers change dramatically as they dry, so if you were to hang them upside down, gravity would cause the petals to drop downwards, which you do not want.
• By drying flowers in a vase like this, you'll also have an instant arrangement.

Other Flowers I Would Use the Upright Method for Include:

• Hydrangeas (pick before the first frost)
• Gypsophila
• Sanguisorba