Everyone knows that when a decorative garden is in full bloom, the decorative garden is gorgeous, but usually they don’t think about how beautiful a beautiful plant will be after the flowers have been created. By learning how to dry and store flower and seed pods, you can have plenty of crafting ingredients for the upcoming cold season.
It is one of the most beautiful times when the plant becomes a seed at the end of the blooming season. This is the time of year when natural sculptures take shape in the garden in the form of seed heads, pods and more. Seed heads come in so many different varieties, from large carved spheres of allium to small delicate grasses, and can be dried and stored for use as an attractive indoor decoration.
When autumn begins, I love going out into the garden and collecting as many seed heads, pods, stems, leaves and flowers as possible. Sometimes I make them into crafts, but often I simply pop some seed heads in a vase or glass jar.
By gathering flowers, leaves, stems and pods from your garden, this year you will be given a treasure trove of beautiful dried plants that will be created over the years. Learn how to dry and store flowers, along with pods of leaves, stems and dried seeds from your garden. You will be delighted to be amazed to see how beautiful the flowers are left after they fade.
Dried seed head
Like everything I do, I prefer the most natural possible options, so when drying the seed heads and flowers from the garden, I avoid artificial preservatives and glue. When harvested at the right time and dried properly, they will still last for a long time and look beautiful. No chemicals or odor adhesives required!
The flowers leave interesting seed pods and dried stems. This is perfect for crafts and dry arrangements. Don’t rush towards Pruner as many seeds are dry in the garden and can be picked along the way.
Don’t be too long. Once you dry it yourself, you want to harvest the seeds heads, before breaking them down or mushy.
For more fragile plants like delicate decorative grass, it is best to choose a collection of stems when they look the best in the garden and dry them indoors.
Good seed heads and pods for drying
Allium (Onion Family) Bean Pod Crocodile Decorative Grass eryngium (Sea Holly) Hemerocalis (Daily) Iris Rugulus (Bunny Tail Glass) Lunaria (Money Plant) Monarda (Bee Plant) Nigella (Foot Love) Papaval (Popus) Papaios (Paper Moon)
How to dry and store flowers
This is when the plants are most hydrated by harvesting flowers in the morning.
Choose flowers that are not fully open yet. Almost all the flowers open more as they dry out. You can also dry open flowers, but there is no wilting, brownish or signs of age. Flowers that have already peaked may not dry very well.
For flower stems such as delphinium and wing eternity, harvest the stems once the first few flowers have opened.
Remove the leaves first, then hang upside down outside, away from the rain or indoors, peel off the leaves, grouping them and drying them. Dry in a dark place and move it away from the window to avoid sun bleaching, resulting in better colour.
Some flowers, like hydrangeas, will retain their colour when dried slowly. Learn how to dry hydrangea flowering to preserve its colour.
Good flowers for hang dry
Pushing leaves and petals
To preserve soft leaves and colorful petals, harvest them at the peak of color and place them on thick book pages under the weight. Phonebooks are ideal (if you still have them!) Those papers are absorbent and provide plenty of space to dry out the flowers.
If you want to protect the pages of your book, slide printer paper or watercolor paper (extra absorbent) over and under the flower.
I have tried plant presses, but I only have a few that I bought in the store, so if you want, you can use this tutorial to make something bigger for yourself. As you can imagine, you can press many specimens on the phonebook page.
Good leaves for press
Acer Palmatum (Japanese Maple)Daucus Carota (Anne’s Lace)Eucalyptus Ferns Parthenocissus Quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper)Rosemary Salix Babylonica (Weeping Willonica)Salvia (Purple Sage)Vitis Vinifera (Common Grape)Wild and Decorative
Craft with flowers and dried seed pods
I’m sure you can think of many crafts to make with these lovely plants. These are some of my favorite uses!
To make a photo like this:
Create cards for many other uses, such as winter breaks, thank you notes, birthdays, craft fairs and gifts. This was made by my book garden.
Push herb bags or fragrant sachets into drawers or cupboards to make them from herbs and sweetly scented flowers.
Like this lavender wreath or this hydrangea wreath, you can make a wreath that lasts all year round.
Store all kinds of plastic molds, such as these coasters.
Pressed flowers and leaves also work great with candles when pressed to the sides. They are a safe way to include dried flowers in candles.
And to make a bouquet from dried flowers for use in the winter. They have an amazing quality that doesn’t require watering when going out in warmer climates in the winter. My mother bought a beautiful ceramic vase and taught me the tricks to make long-lasting flower gifts for autumn and winter parties.
Now grab the clipper and head out into the garden to hunt for treasure. In a few cold winter months, when the garden was sleeping, you’re happy what you did!
Other tips for harvesting flowers
With a city girl who learned to garden, it changed everything. Author, artist, master gardener. A better life through plants.
