Preserving roses is most definitely one of the most exciting and gratifying ways to show off your exquisite flowers. Dried flower arrangements are a wonderful and easy way to preserve your flowers when fresh flowers are not available. Dried flower arrangements make memorable gifts for special friends and are a way of preserving special events such as birthdays, anniversaries or weddings.
There are several methods used for preserving flowers:
- Air Drying or Hang and Dry in a dark cool place to dry. This is the oldest method for drying flowers.
- Flower-Dri Crystals Silica Gel: White sugar-fine sand with bright cobalt chloride crystals. (moisture indicator) This is a registered trademark by Planttabs.
- Regular Silica Gel: Available at Michael’s or Hobby Stores which is a sand-like mixture with coarse cobalt blue crystals. This powdery substance is more easily inhaled and caution should be taken to wear a respirator to avoid lung problems.
- Silica Gel/Microwave: Combination of dry desiccant and a microwave.
- Fine Sterilized Play Sand: This is not recommended for roses, daffodils, etc., as it is too heavy.
- Borax and Cornmeal: References report using equal parts of Borax and cornmeal.
- Dehydrator Drying: References report setting the temperature at 100 degrees for 24 hours for small/medium roses.
- Freeze Drying: Requires special equipment.
I have been drying roses for almost 40 years and it is my experience that the Flower-Dri crystals produce the freshest and smoothest petals and give the beginner quick results. The crystals leave less residue on the flowers and produce less contamination that you might breathe. Flower-Dri Crystals last indefinitely if you dry out the desiccant in a regular oven at 250 degrees for 30-60 minutes. The time depends on the amount of desiccant you have. The blue crystals become vivid cobalt blue when all the moisture is out of the sand, and it is ready for reuse when cool. The blue crystals are dull and turn a pinkish color when there is moisture in the desiccant. Store the desiccant in an airtight container until ready to reuse. REMEMBER - do not put your flowers in the oven.
Materials Needed For Drying Roses:
- At least 5 pounds of Flower-Dri Crystals
- A large airtight container to store desiccant in such as extra-large tins for popcorn or Rubbermaid containers or Tupperware
- Airtight containers for drying the flowers such as Rubbermaid containers coffee cans, fruitcake tins, margarine containers or whatever you have
- Wide Scotch 3M masking tape and heavy felt tip pen; small artist paint brushes; small glue gun and tacky glue; tooth picks; and 25-26 gauge wire
- Small plastic cup or ½ lb. margarine container
- Cake pan for drying out desiccant
- Pro-Seal 2000 - Used to preserve the color of the roses and retain their flexibility.
STEPS TO FOLLOW:
Cut flowers at their peak. Carefully remove any moisture. Choose the most perfect blooms. Do not try to dry a flower that is past its prime or has insect damage. Groom the flower as you would for a rose show and remove any bad petals. The foliage can be dried as well but separately, or placed on top and covered with the crystals. The foliage, too, should be as perfect as possible. ANY FLAW IN THE BLOOM OR LEAF WILL BE MAGNIFIED BY THE DRYING PROCESS.
Cover the bottom of your airtight container with the 3 inches of the crystals. Cut stems off flowers so that you can handle them. (1 to 1 ½ inch) Forming a hairpin hook with approximately 6 inches of your wire, push one end of the hairpin hook through the calyx pulling down to form an inverted “U” making sure that the stem of the rose is between the two ends of the wire. Then wrap one side of the hairpin wire around the other and the stem and twist it around the wire and back under the stem. The extra wire can be removed and the one wire left folded in an “L” for space-saving in the desiccant. Be careful not to puncture other flowers with the wire. You can dry the flower without wiring it.
Place the flower, face up, into the desiccant so that the flowers do not touch the container or other flowers. Dry the same size flowers together in one container for consistent drying time. Utilize a plastic cup or margarine container so that you can squeeze it to control the flow. Carefully and slowly pour the desiccant in a circular motion around the outer rim of the container toward the crown into and over the flower until you have completely covered the flower. If you are drying layers of flowers in the same container, be sure to have a good inch of desiccant between layers. Larger containers are needed for larger roses. Mini roses dry very nicely in small cake or cookie tins and in margarine containers. IMPORTANT! If the rose petals fold under and it is difficult to spread the desiccant around it, be sure to hold the petal up so that you can get the crystals under it and not have it pressed down to form a fold in the petal. This can be accomplished with the aid of an orange stick or with your fingers.
Even if your container is airtight, place wide masking tape around the lid to be sure. All outside air must be sealed out of the container. Be sure to write the names of the roses and the date you put them into the crystals. Be careful so that you do not disturb your flowers. Keep the container upright in a safe dark place.
The length of time to leave your flowers depends on their type and size and your outside weather conditions. (HUMIDITY!) In Arizona, large roses usually dry in 7 days. Mini roses dry in 4-5 days.
After the desired length of time for the size of your roses, carefully remove the flowers from the containers by slowly pouring the desiccant into a shallow baking pan - OH! SO GENTLY! Remember, the flowers are fragile. NEVER thrust your hand down into the crystals. If all petals are dry and the calyx is not entirely dry, place the rose uncovered in a layer of the desiccant in a cake pan with the calyx sitting directly in the desiccant for a day or two for that heavy part to dry. I call this a holding tray for the calyx to dry.
Gently blow the loose desiccant off the flower. Turn it upside down and with a small, fine artist’s paint brush, gently tap at the base of the flower with the handle. Then carefully brush off any remaining residue from the flower. If a petal falls off, be sure to save it to be glued on later. Place a bead of glue around the inner base of the underneath side of the flower with a small glue gun or with a tooth pick and tacky glue. Any petals that have fallen off can be glued at this time.
Dip or spray the Pro-Seal 2000 as directed below, and place the rose on oasis. The Pro-Seal 2000 helps the flowers retain their color, durability, and flexibility. The flexibility is important when working with your flowers for arrangements. Without some type of preservative, the flowers become very brittle and lose their color and substance.
Pro-Seal 2000 Directions for usage: Apply in a 70 degrees Fahrenheit or above with low humidity (50% or less). When dipping flowers, dilute Pro-Seal 2000 1 part Pro-Seal to 1 ½ parts denatured alcohol. Dip the flower carefully at an angle and let it drain for a few seconds. Set it in an upright position to dry on oasis for 6 to 24 hours, depending on humidity, temperature, and air movement. Follow the products’ safe-handling procedures. Spraying the flowers is also recommended making sure all areas are covered. You should only dilute the measured amount to be used at one time. A measured spray bottle will enable you to mix just the amount needed. A Preval Spray Gun (6 oz.) Professional Portable Sprayer is available at hardware stores.
ROSES SUITABLE FOR DRYING:
The deeper the color of the rose, the longer the preserved color will last. The dark reds will dry almost black, however, sometimes a very dark accent can be added to your arrangement. My favorite rose to dry is ‘Kanegem’. The beautiful orange will dry to a glorious and vibrant red. Other colors will dry a shade darker than their original colors.
Tight buds do not dry well so choose a more open bloom. The colors of the rose will differ and sometimes depends on the weather conditions. Therefore there is no hard set rule as to which roses dry well and those that do not. A lot of it is personal preference.
‘Milestone’, ‘Color Magic’ ,‘Double Delight’, ‘Brigadoon’, ‘Perfect Moment’ preserve well if the colors of the flowers are deep. Bi-Colors and blends bleed and fade over time, however are wonderful when freshly dried. Light colored flowers fade. Double Delight is very hard to capture but if caught at just the right time, will preserve beautifully. ‘Whoopi’ and ‘Something Else’ form sharp color differentials and do not have the soft color flow as in the fresh flower. But, you should try them all and experiment to see your color preferences. Do not hesitate preserving any of them.
REDS AND RED BLENDS: ‘Veterans’ Honor’, ‘Opening Night’, ‘Olympiad’, ‘Christian Dior’, ‘Double Delight’, Acey Deucy’, ‘Mountie’, ‘Hilde’, ‘Chelsea Belle’, ‘ Black Jade’ (very dark), ‘Coffee Bean‘, ‘Miss Flippins’
PINK AND PINK BLENDS: ‘Fame!’, ‘Gemini’, ‘Timeless’, ‘Raspberry Ice’(‘Hannah Gordon’), ‘Rina Hugo’, ‘Prima Donna’, ‘Giggles’, ‘Adam’s Smile’, ‘Valerie Jeanne’, ‘Show Stopper’, ‘Ruby Ruby’, ‘Doris Morgan’
ORANGE AND ORANGE BLENDS: ‘Kanegem’, ‘Gingersnap’, ‘Mardi Gras’, ‘Tropicana’, ‘Impatient’, ‘Fragrant Cloud’, ‘Dolly Parton’, ‘Rio Samba’, ‘Hot Tamale’, ‘Palmetto Sunrise’, ‘Denver’s Dream’, ‘Perrine’, ‘Copper Sunset’, ‘Starina’
YELLOW AND YELLOW BLENDS: ‘Gold Metal’, ‘Henry Fonda’, ‘Summer Sunshine’, ‘Sunsprite’, ‘Midas Touch’, ‘Oregold’, ‘June Laver’, ‘Bees Knees’, ‘Rainbow’s End’, ‘Rise’n’Shine’, ‘Glory Be’, ‘Behold’, ‘Cal Poly’
APRICOT AND APRICOT BLENDS: ‘Honey Perfume’, ‘Tahitian Sunset’, ‘Michel Cholet’, ‘Jean Kenneally’, ‘Autumn Sunset’, ‘Joycie’, ‘Angel’s Blush’, ‘Apricot Twist’, ‘ Dee Bennett’
PURPLE AND MAUVE: ‘Fragrant Plum’, ‘ Ebb Tide’, ‘Distant Drums’, ’Wild Blue Yonder’, ‘Winsome’, ‘Vista’, ‘Lavender Jewel’
RUSSETS: ‘Hot Cocoa’, ‘Copper Sunset’, ‘ Teddy Bear’
FUN TO DRY!: ‘Fourth of July’, ‘ Purple Tiger’, ‘Hurdy Gurdy’, ‘Neon Cowboy’, ‘Fancy Pants’, ‘Gizmo’, ‘Little Artist’
OTHER FLOWERS SUITABLE FOR DRYING
Cactus Flowers: hedgehog, jumping jack, barrel are especially good. The hedgehog retains its beautiful purple color for a long time. (Be sure to cut off flowers with a long-handled knife, handle with tongs and wear gloves!) The heavy base of the cactus flower takes a long time to dry, therefore, again, leave in for 5-7 days, check to see if the petals are dry, then leave the base in the desiccant for a few more days until completely dry.
Marguerites, daisies, various mums. Don’t leave in desiccant too long or petals will fall off. The numerous petals dry rapidly 2-3 days and again the base can dry after you have removed the flower from the desiccant. Experiment with them and see how they dry in your area.
Daffodils and orchids. Be sure to pour desiccant carefully around flowers to avoid destroying the form. Carefully fill the hollow spaces of the flowers with the desiccant.
Marigolds, zinnias, and violets, and tiny marigolds. These add delicate accents to your rose arrangements. Try drying the small blooms from your household plants and ferns. All these add individual beauty.
HINTS FOR SUCCESS
Choose brightly colored flowers for a bright arrangement. THE BRIGHTER THE COLOR, THE LONGER THE COLOR WILL LAST. Light pink and yellow flowers fade rapidly. White flowers are hard to dry if left in the desiccant too long. Do not leave any flowers in longer than previously recommended times. Bi-colors and blends bleed and fade over time.
Don’t be discouraged if your first flowers are not perfect. They will be next time.
The foliage that is attached to the flower you are drying does not have to be the foliage in your arrangement. Greenery should be added separately and you should dry only the most perfect and darkest green foliage available. All imperfections in the leaves and the flower are magnified in the drying process. New growth dark red foliage dries nicely. However, all foliage tends to fade rapidly.
The dried and dipped flowers are now ready for your artistic imagination. You can use them in vases just as you would fresh flowers by adding florist’s wire and floral tape. Large and mini wreaths and other varieties of wall hangings are now popular. My “claim to fame” has always been to put my creations in unetched glass boxes, domes, or picture frames. This provides an especially easy and protected way to display your flowers. They are good for the wedding bouquets or other special events - certainly a nice remembrance of special occasions.
A walk in the desert or a hike in the mountains or just in your neighborhood will become a haven to pick tiny wild grasses, seed pods and twisted root bark to complement your arrangements. The seed stem of the hated Johnson grass also adds a delicate accent. The seed pods of the crepe myrtle are especially attractive with the preserved flowers. A base for the arrangement could be shaved-down redwood bark, small twisted desert wood, or cactus spine. An added touch is to spray these woody accents with a high-gloss acrylic spray for a finished look. Assemble the dried flowers, desert grasses, pods, etc. with florist’s clay as a cushioned base and Tacky Glue. Do not try to use Elmer’s Glue. The Tacky Glue will dry clear, and the clay can be camouflaged with a touch of florist moss.
Dried flower arrangements can never be displayed in direct sunlight, or under a table lamp that you burn frequently. Color is best preserved when displayed in a low-light area of the room. In Arizona, there is not the humidity problem that is present in other parts of the country. Dried arrangements need to be stored away in a dry place during high-humidity conditions.
FINALLY, perhaps at the beginning of this study, my goal was to preserve the roses to look so life-like, you would almost have to touch them to know they were preserved. Roses in an open air vase will last several years. In a closed glass box or frame, the roses will last indefinitely. The Pro-Seal 2000 has proven to be a definite improvement for protecting the color, and flexibility of the flower. This seals in the color and hopefully it will last for many years. The flexibility helps to make the arranging easier.
Just remember - you can preserve that perfect rose which should have bloomed the day of the Rose Show! How many times have we found those blooms in the garden? It does not take long to stick them in the crystals. Also, I would like to encourage novices, rosarians, and all of you who grow roses to try your hand at preserving them. Jump in with both feet and don’t be intimidated with arranging. The results are very rewarding.
In conclusion, when we are drying roses strictly for a Rose Show, how long they last is not of utmost importance. However, if we make dried arrangements for our home or give them as gifts, we want to keep them as long as possible. It is embarrassing for a gift that once was so beautiful, to have devolved into a colorless entity. Therefore, the final step of sealing it with the PRO-Seal 2000 becomes extremely important. Try it. I think you will like it and I hope that this guide will be helpful to you.
SUPPLIES
Flower-Dri Crystals
Plantabbs Products
P.O. Box 165
Hunt Valley, MD 21030
(800) 227-4340
fleur-CHEM, Inc.
16661 N. 84th Avenue, Suite 160
Peoria, AZ 85382
(623) 977-8900
Photos courtesy of Collete Morton
References:
"Through the Years - The Preservation of Roses"
Revised edition, January 2001, Shirley Datillo © 1999
"The Decorative Art of Dried Flower Arrangement"
Georgia S. Vance © 1972
Excerpts from "Blast Furnace Rose Gardening"
Rose Society of Tucson, © 1987
"Harvesting, Preserving and Arranging Dried Flowers"
Cathy Miller © 1997
The following pictures are from National, Local and District rose shows over the past few years. Many of them are blue ribbon winners and others are just beautiful.
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| Rose Society of Tucson rose show, 1996 Keepsake Award Rose: Touch of Class |
Rose used with a wreath |
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| The 'perfect' rose | Roses used with a frame |
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| In a Glass Box | In a Glass Box |
