Pressing and drying flowers: instructions for roses and edelweiss

A fresh rose blossom is a special gift. It impresses with its noble shape and the bright clear color. As an encore, there is an intoxicating scent. Unfortunately, it also has a disadvantage: it withers away far too quickly before our eyes. But sometimes we want to keep them forever. Drying prolongs their existence, albeit in a different way.

Which varieties are suitable?

Edelweiss blossoms are ideally suited for drying. This also applies to roses, regardless of whether only rose petals or entire bouquets are to be dried. All varieties from the huge rose family are suitable for this type of preservation. However, the flowers used should be fresh, intensely colored and, if possible, fragrant.

harvest roses

Various types of roses are available in flower shops all year round. If you have rose bushes in your garden, you can use them to your heart's content. However, there are time limits here. In our latitudes, the flowering time of this royal plant is limited to a few months a year due to the prevailing climate.

• Flowering time varies by rose variety
• the first flowers appear as early as May
• Flowering season ends in late autumn

Blooming roses in the garden are an ornament that should be preserved for as long as possible. Nevertheless, the time for the harvest must not be missed.

• Harvest roses before they wilt
• do not use fallen leaves
• Petals should still be attached to the plant
• Don't pluck budding roses apart

Process cut flowers faster

Roses in bouquets will wither faster than rose petals that are still on the plant. That's why fresh roses should not be admired in the vase for more than two days, then it's time for the drying process. Most of the flowers are still somewhat closed at the beginning. Once they open, they need to be dried. Depending on your wishes with a stem, individual flower heads or just the leaves.

Harvest edelweiss

Edelweiss has found a permanent home in mountainous areas. If you meet him while hiking, you are welcome to admire and photograph him. But don't pick! Because the edelweiss is under nature protection. Flowers for drying can only be provided by specimens that have been cultivated or grown in our own garden. can be bought at the garden center.

• bright white flowers must be avoided
• cultivated varieties are slightly greyish in color
• the abundance of flowers is also more modest in the garden
• the flowers have developed in July
• it can be harvested

Various drying methods

Whether rose or edelweiss, this plays a rather subordinate role for the drying process itself. Depending on how many flowers are to be dried and what the desired result should look like, there are several options available:

• air drying
• Pressing between book pages
• Drying with dry salt, detergent or silica gel
• Drying in the oven
• Drying in the microwave

air drying

Air drying is an easy way to remove moisture from fresh roses and edelweiss without changing their shape significantly. The individual steps are described in more detail below:

1. Spread edelweiss, whole rose heads or rose petals on absorbent kitchen paper or on a grid. The flowers or Sheets should not touch or even overlap.
2. Set the whole thing to dry in a place that offers plenty of heat. A boiler room is ideal.
3. If you use kitchen paper as a base, replace it about every three days. Or change the position of the flowers to places that are still absorbent.
4. Turn flowers and leaves regularly so they can dry evenly on both sides.
5. Gently shake out dried flowers. Sometimes small crawling animals are still hidden in it, which now fall out when shaken and run away.

Pressing between book pages

The pressing of individual blossoms has a long tradition. A flower is placed between the book pages and the book is closed. The flower gradually loses moisture, but also its natural shape. To ensure that the pressing is even better, the following instructions should be observed.

• Don't put the flower directly on the book pages
• cover with blotting paper or kitchen paper
• the moisture is absorbed better this way
• the sheet sides do not get dirty
• the flower must be positioned well
• Sheets must not be on top of each other
• change the sodden kitchen paper from time to time

Flowers and leaves dried in this way are perfectly flat. They are well suited to decorate letters and pictures.

Dry salt, detergent and silica gel

Dry salt, dry detergent and silica gel have the common property of absorbing moisture. These funds also offer some advantages:

• Drying is faster
• the original flower shape is preserved
• cause better durability
• Dry salt and silica gel can be used repeatedly

How to dry your roses or edelweiss flowers with one of these means:

1. Choose a sufficiently large and screwable glass.
2. Cover the floor with dry salt, dry detergent or silica gel.
3. Put the flowers on top.
4. Fill the glass with dry salt and co. If you dry several flowers in it at the same time, make sure that they do not touch each other.
5. Seal the jar and leave it like that for about four days.
6. Dry salt absorbs the color of the rose. When the salt and blossom have matched in tone, the drying process is complete. With the edelweiss, the effect is not so clearly visible due to the simple greyish colouring.

Drying in the oven

Drying rose petals in the oven is quick and inexpensive. And this is how it works:

1. Put a layer of sand on the baking sheet.
2. Distribute the flowers or Leaves. There should be enough space in between.
3. Preheat the oven to 40 degrees Celsius.
4. Place the baking sheet with the flowers in the oven for about 30 minutes.
5. Check if the buds are completely dry. If not, extend your oven time by a few minutes.

Gentle drying in the oven is not only easy to use, the result is also impressive. The dried petals have a decorative curvature and still smell almost like freshly picked.

Drying in the microwave

The quickest way to dry is with a microwave. Since it is now in almost every household, there are hardly any costs associated with this type of drying. What you need for this:

• fresh roses or edelweiss blossoms
• a microwave
• absorbent kitchen paper
• two microwaveable plates

And this is how drying in the microwave works:

1. Cover a plate with kitchen paper.
2. Distribute the flowers on it with sufficient distance between them.
3. Place another layer of kitchen paper on top of the flowers.
4. Cover with the second plate.
5. Turn on the microwave. With a high wattage, about 40 seconds are sufficient. With a lower wattage, the microwave needs approx. 90 seconds.
6. Take out the dried flowers.

Drying whole bouquets

Beautiful bouquets of roses can be dried whole. The roses should be fresh and the blossoms only slightly open.

1. Cut all stems at an angle with a sharp knife.
2. Place the bouquet in a vase with a mixture of equal parts water and glycerin.
3. After two days, remove the bouquet of roses from the vase.
4. Divide large bouquets into several small bundles so that drying works well and evenly.
5. Hang the bouquet in an airy, cool and dry place. No direct sunlight.
6. Depending on the variety of roses and the size of the flowers, the bouquet will remain in the hanging position for about 4-6 days.
7. After that you can put the bouquet in a vase without water. They continue to dry in this for about three weeks.

durability

While dry roses have a long shelf life, an extension of time is welcome. Spray the dried flowers evenly with a hairspray or hairspray. The annoying smell of the spray disappears quickly and the natural rose scent reappears. Gloss varnish passes its shine on to the flowers. Repeat this procedure every few months. This will keep the beauty of the dried roses or edelweiss flowers for many years.

Learn more about spring gardening tips