Drying, pressing and preserving

The arranging year doesn't end with first frost. Half the flowers in your garden can be preserved and re-used through winter.

AIR DRYING is the easiest method — works for flowers with a thin, papery petal that doesn't shrink to nothing. Bunch 5–7 stems with twine; hang upside down somewhere DARK (light bleaches colour) and DRY (humidity rots them). 2–4 weeks. Works for: lavender, hydrangea, statice, strawflower, achillea, gypsophila, larkspur, love-in-a-mist seedheads, ornamental grasses.

SILICA GEL preserves three-dimensional structure for flowers that air-drying would crush — roses, dahlias, peonies. Fully bury the head in silica crystals in an airtight container; 7–14 days. Reusable. The result is paper-fragile but holds form for years.

GLYCERINE keeps foliage pliable and silky rather than crisp. Mix 1 part glycerine to 2 parts boiling water; stand woody stems (eucalyptus, beech, magnolia) in the warm mix for 1–3 weeks. They take up the glycerine instead of water; leaves bronze and stay supple forever.

PRESSING is the schoolchild's method — between newspaper, weighted with books, 2–3 weeks. Works for: pansies, violas, cosmos, larkspur, single roses, single dahlias, herb leaves, ferns. Use the results for greeting cards, framed pieces, gift tags.

AIR-DRIED HYDRANGEA — the trick is timing. Cut when the heads have already started to feel papery on the plant (late August onward, NOT in full flush). Stand stems in a vase with only 2 cm of water; let the water evaporate. The flower heads dry naturally and hold colour.