
Drying Your Roses

There are three ways to dry roses
1.
Air drying
2.
Desiccant-
Drying
Air
Drying is the
most common method of preserving roses.
This method is best for rose buds that are just about to open.
Hang them in a warm, dry and dark place with good ventilation for a two weeks.
Tie a string around the stems and hang them upside down. This will prevent
moisture from becoming trapped between the flowers which can mold them.
Once
they are completely dried be careful to handle them with care for they will now
be brittle.
Display
them tightly in a terracotta pot for the wonderful display.
For
more complete information on air drying flowers see "Working with Dried
Flowers" In the floral instruction section of this site.
Desiccant
drying
This
method is perfect for open roses.
You
will need an airtight container that measures 1 inch taller than the roses
you are drying and silica gel crystals (enough to completely cover your roses
-standing on end) If you would prefer to save on silica gel crystals you can cut the
stems shorter.
Put
1/2 inch of Silica Gel in an airtight container -place the roses so that the
blooms face up.
Cover
them very carefully with more silica gel crystals until every part of the flower is
covered. Now seal the container tightly. Keep them at room temperature for
10 days before removing the lid of the container. After 10 days carefully remove
them from the desiccant.
For
more complete information on drying flowers with desiccants see "Working with Dried
Flowers" In the floral instruction section of this site.
Also see Different Flower Drying Techniques