BY modern methods, the flowers for our winter bouquets may be dried throughout their growing periods. Not only will they provide out of season enjoyment, but they can vie at any season with fresh blooms and they will hold their own on the show table, too.
The processes by which the flowers are dried is not difficult, but patience and careful handling are required. The first step is to assemble the necessary materials and prepare a work area which is dry, yet well ventilated.
All of the flowers we will discuss will be dried in an old fashion mixture of 2/3 powdered borax and 1/3 dry, sifted sand. A practical quantity for the average drying box would be four pounds of borax, thoroughly mixed with 3 and 1/3 cups of sand. This mixture does not deteriorate and an occasional sifting will keep it usable year after year.
For some flowers, wires (available in 18-inch lengths from the florist) are used to substitute for the natural stems or to extend stems which are too short. When wrapped with green or brown corsage tape they are seldom obvious and their pliability is an advantage in making the arrangement. Twenty-three gauge wires are medium strength and will support most flowers.
Camel's hair or sable brushes are convenient for grooming all materials. Cotton batting or florist's shredded waxed paper help to protect fragile flowers during the storage period. A creamy white adhesive, such as Elmer's Glue which will not stain the flowers, is recommended for reinforcing petals which fall easily, and toothpicks make satisfactory applicators for this operation.
Broad-petaled flowers will absorb moisture from the air after they have been dried, so it is wise to protect them from humidity until the atmosphere is dry enough to expose them in arrangements. For this storage period I recommend the use of some drying agent like you find in packaged materials to battle humidity. We all like to admire and exhibit our handiwork from time to time so, after placing the dried flowers in the box on a thin layer of cotton (or shredded waxed paper), I prefer to wrap the coverless box with Saranwrap plus it is transparent.
How to Start
The preliminary treatment of all the flowers discussed is all the same. Gather flowers at the height of their beauty after the morning dew had evaporated from their petals. After removing all but 1/2 inch of natural stem, each is given a substitute stem by inserting a wire through the exact center of the calyx, running it from the face of the flower to the back. Before pulling it down through the flower, 1/4 inch a hairpin hook was formed at the upper end. Then, as the wire stem was carefully pulled downward the hook fastened itself into the flower's center so that it was invisible, yet firmly anchored.
Each flower's characteristic form dictates the special handling that may be necessary to preserve it, as well as its color. Clematis hybrids, for instance, are apt to fall apart, so their petals are secured to their calyxes before drying by the application of tiny dabs Elmer's Glue on their under-sides. After the adhesive was thoroughly dry (a matter of minutes) they are ready for the drying box.
Their flat form, with slightly overlapping petals, indicates that they may be dried upside down with a sprinkling of borax mixture beneath them and a generous covering of the mixture over them. The weight of the sand holds them firmly in place so that the wire "stems" stand upright.
At the end of five days they were carefully removed from the box and the wires stuck in a block of Styrofoam to prevent crushing of the petals) until they could conveniently be packed in the storage box. When stored, the wires were bent so that the flowers could be laid flat upon their soft padding, beneath which were strewn a scant handful of drying crystals.
Daffodils, with their deep or frilly cups, were placed in the drying box with their faces up. This was easily accomplished by manipulating the wire "stems." The borax mixture was gently worked between the perianth segments and into the cups. They dried quickly and were ready in three days.
Roses, when dried by the old- fashioned upside-down hanging method do not fall apart, but the considerable shrinkage and uniformity of size detract from their beauty in arrangements. By the borax mixture method their lovely curves and smooth texture were preserved and the results were well worth the extra precaution of glueing the petals to their calyxes before drying.
The natural stems were left on the roses. To prevent the petals from being flat on one side, a 4 inch strip of cardboard (as long as the width of the drying box) was cut and folded in half, lengthwise, to form a free-standing ridge. At intervals of four inches, small nicks were cut in the fold to support the necks of the flowers so that the round forms were elevated above the floor of the box. As previously described, the flowers were covered with borax mixture, a few grains being carefully fluffed in between the overlapping petals. They were removed on the fifth day, when the outer petals felt like taffeta to the touch.
Marigolds were easily handled with wires to replace their natural stems, although this was a matter of personal preference. They do not shatter, so no adhesive was needed. They were placed in the drying box in the manner described for roses and were ready in five days.
Queen Anne's lace was wired before drying and placed in the borax mixture flat, with wires protruding, in the same manner as the clematis. It was dry in five days. The Hogarth line of silver lace vine was "set" in the drying box before the borax mixture was gently added to cover - it was ready for the arrangement in three days.
Preserving Foliage
Foliage and ferns compliment any cut flower or gladiolus flowers and usually define the design in the arrangement. These are easily preserved and will last almost indefinitely. How to succeed with flower arrangements requires utmost attention even on minute details. The
ferns were brushed with peanut oil (any non-salty oil would do) and then pressed between layers of newspaper with a weight on top. They were removed from the press after three weeks.
Aucuba, scotch broom, laurel and beech leaves were all preserved in a well mixed solution of 1/3 glycerin and 2/3 water. The solution was heated to about 110 degrees to hasten its course through the branches. The aucuba, which turned almost black, was ready in about ten days. Scotch broom took only three days and can be easily molded into a crescent curve and added with marigolds. Laurel took about ten days, but sagged a little so that the branches are hung upside down for several more days to permit the glycerin solution, already in the stems, to continue its course and give more stability to the extreme leaves. The beech leaves shown with the marigolds were left in the solution for complete absorption, which took approximately a week; this length of time gave them a rich, golden brown color. However, they could have been removed at the end of three days while they were still green, but already well-preserved.
We use containers for the clematis, marigold and daffodil arrangements filled with floral clay to reach the rims of the containers so that stems would be held firmly in place. Once you have materials dried and ready to design your master piece - now comes the fun part. The design process - all that is left is your imagination. - 15266
