MAKING FALL WREATHS
(Page 3 of 8)
Tray Drying
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Nuts, moss, fungi, bird's nests, pinecones, seeds, and bark
should be placed on old cookie trays, screens, newspapers,
or in shallow boxes to dry thoroughly before use. A shelf
in a dry, warm room or out in the sun will do. Depending on
the thickness of the material, these items can take from
several days to several weeks to dry.
Pinecones, seeds, nuts, and leaves may also be dried in a
moderately heated oven until they lose all their moisture.
Store dried materials in coffee cans, boxes, or baskets,
away from moisture and dampness.
Silica Gel
Not all flowers retain their colors when dried naturally.
The use of silica gel, a sandlike product that thoroughly
and quickly dries natural materials, will preserve original
colors very effectively.
I bought a five-pound can of silica gel in 1989 for $16. It
will last me a lifetime. When my foraging year begins, my
silica gel is always in use, from the first spring blossoms
until the last blooms of fall.
In the morning, after the dew has dried off the plants (you
want to pick when flowers are as dry as possible), cut a
basket of blooms to be dried. Handling the flower gently,
cut the stem about an inch from the blossom. Pour 1/2 -inch
of silica gel in the bottom of a cookie tin or coffee can
with a tight lid, then place flowers face down, being
careful not to let them touch. Gently pour enough silica
gel to cover flowers entirely, making sure to get the gel
on all sides and between the petals. Then continue adding
layers until the tin is full, making sure the last layer is
silica gel. Cover tightly. More-delicate blossoms can dry
in two to three days. Thicker blossoms can take from one to
10 days or some times more; all depends on the dryness of
the bloom when it's picked and the moisture in the air
while it is drying. Drying your flowers completely is very
important.
Remember that reds will dry darker; whites will sometimes
dry translucent or cream-colored. Pinks, yellows, oranges,
blues, greens, and purples will all dry and retain the same
color as when you picked them.
When you think the blossoms are dry, gently dig one out and
check. If they are ready to be removed, carefully pour the
silica gel out of the tin, gently picking out your dried
flowers as you go. A small paintbrush is good for removing
sand particles from your flowers. Between usage, store
silica get tightly in its tin can.
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