Preserving Roses

Drying Roses
By Pam Seaberg

Air Drying: (The easiest method)

You will need:

The secret to air drying roses is to dry the flowers as quickly as possible. Select stems of rose blooms a few days before their prime, and only the perfect blooms. Past prime roses usually drop their petals too easy when dried, and damaged blooms are unsightly in dried arrangements. Pick only on dry days (mid-morning is best) -- avoid any and all contamination from rain and dew.

Remove the lower leaves from the stems, then using rubber bands to fasten, group harvested roses together in small bunches, being careful that no blooms touch each other. Hang the individual bunches upside down in a dry, dark, warm area. A clothes hanger in an empty closet works great, or from the ceiling in a kitchen.

Air drying times vary with humidity, but the roses should dry within five to ten days normally.

Drying With Silica Gel:

You will need:

Select rose blooms a few days before their prime, and only the perfect blooms that are completely dry, no dew. Past prime roses usually drop their petals too easy when dried, and damaged blooms are unsightly in dried arrangements. Pick only on dry days (mid-morning is best) -- avoid any and all contamination from rain and dew.

Purchased at a craft or nursery supply store, Silica gel looks like sugar with small blue crystals in it, and can be used repeatedly, making the cost fairly practical. The gel works as a desiccant that pulls moisture out of the flowers, resulting in spectacular dried blooms. The flowers appear almost fresh, although the color darkens somewhat.

To reactivate the gel after original use, place it in a baking tin in a low temperature (200°F) oven for about an hour.

Cut egg cartons to fit inside the airtight containers. The egg cartons will support the shape of the individual rose blooms. Slowly pour silica into the bottom of the carton. Carefully place each rose in separate cups of the egg carton, then cover each with silica. Close the container tight.

Check the roses after a couple of days to see if they are dry. Don't leave them in too long or they become overly crisp. Tip the container to remove the silica and handle the roses carefully. Lift them out with a small spoon. Store the flowers in a cardboard box with a layer of silica gel in the bottom to prevent them from becoming damp (roses will reabsorb water outside the box).

Spray the blooms with an inexpensive hair spray, or sealer from a craft store, to preserve the color and make the roses less fragile to handle. Dried flower arrangements will last 6 to 12 months, or longer, if you protect them from moisture and direct sunlight. Store the arrangements in plastic containers. To freshen up the design, re-spray with a sealer or use a hair dryer on the lowest setting.

Rose Colors That Dry Well and Retain Bright Color:

• Orange
• Medium Red
• Medium and Dark Yellow
• Medium and Dark Pink

Single and Semi-Double style blooms usually are difficult to dry, losing petals during process.

Reference Books about Drying Roses:

• The Creative Guide to Dried Flowers, by Carol Petelin
• The Rose Book, by Maggie Oster
• Microwave Craft Magic, by Marjie Lambert
• An English Country Lady's Book of Dried Flowers, by Amanda Docker
• The Scented Room, by Barbara Milo Ohrbach
• The Book of Dried Flowers, by Malcolm Hillier & Colin Hilton
• The Country Diary Book of Flowers -- Drying, Pressing & Potpourri, by Carol Petelin (My Personal Favorite)