The temperatures in the next few days will be in the 30s. Even if it’s not a hard frost, this kind of cold will finish off many of the flowers.
Team Flower Power has us covered. These goddesses of garden glory remind us that it’s time to harvest huge bouquets for fresh display now and many additional flowers for drying. Susan, aka the Garden Lady, tells us how.
Zinnias are especially cold sensitive. Gardeners can harvest stalks with many blossoms, not just a single stem. (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)
Flowers that can be dried include all four varieties of celosia, all 4 varieties that we grow. They’re red and
feathery, yellow and orange, and altogether beautiful. (Photos by FlyD and Nigel Cohen on Unsplash)
Straw flowers, or scabiosa and statice, are gorgeous in dried flower arrangements too. (Photos from Wikimedia Commons)
HOW TO DRY FLOWERS
• Strip excess foliage from flowers.
• Cut stems to the desired length, but leave at least 6 inches.
• Use a rubber band or twine to tie the stems together (if you have a bouquet).
• Hang them upside down in a dark, dry, well-ventilated area. Keeping the flowers out of direct sunlight will help them retain their color.
The drying process takes two to three weeks.
Photo by David Nachef
Happy autumn and long beyond with colors like these at home!
