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Harvest Flowers
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18153 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
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11 / 1990 |
1,957 Words |
| Author
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Judy Ford Hogan
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Dried flowers, foliage, and field plants have been Thanksgiving decorating media ever since the Pilgrims' first celebration. Pictorial re-creations of that banquet show tables garnished with leaf-laden branches in all the colors of fall. Such dried arrangements continue to grace our homes to day, but the range of dried materials available is greater. Because of new and easier drying methods, contemporary arrangers can create dramatic designs using plants of all species.
Exploring the world of dried flowers can be as pleasurable as a walk along the roadway or as simple as a trip to the local floral supplier. Almost any flower grown in the garden or bought at a shop can be dried at home or purchased in a dried state from floral supply stores or craft shops. Although often overlooked by professionals and amateurs alike, field plants, weeds wild grasses, and foliage form shrubbery or trees also make strikingly beautiful arranging materials when dried.
Commercially produced dried floral materials, reasonably priced and long lasting in quality, enable a flower lover to enjoy the beauty of natural material year round. Large-scale processors of dried flowers and foliage use the same three drying techniques as the newcomer to the craft. Foliage is usually dried by a liquid preservative method. To retain the brilliant colors and delicate shapes of blossoms a special compound of either sand or silica gel is preferred. Field plants and some garden and florist flowers can be air dried. Learning how to dry flowers and other plant material is an enjoying pastime as well as an intrusting educational experience. Newcomers to the craft will find each method fascinating.
The Liquid Preservative Method
A large portion of what the commercial market classifies as dried foliage is made up of materials that have actually been preserved, not dried. Popular examples include eucalyptus, leather-leaf fern, and cedar. The two main characteristics of these materials are that the stems and leaves are as pliable after processing as before cutting, and that the leaves look nearly identical to their fresh counterparts.
To preserve foliage at home, the supplies needed are glycerin, which can be purchased at a pharmacy by the pint or gallon; water; and several tall, clean jars to hold the liquid mixture and fresh-cut stems for processing. When used for medicinal purposes, this kind of glycerin is an external body lubricant, but the same product, when mixed with water, preserves foliage for an indefinite period of time.
To begin, mix one pat glycerin to two parts warm water to make the preservative. As soon as possible after cutting, submerge the stem ends of a branch or vine into a jar filled with about eight inches of the liquid mixture. The stem ends of thicker branches should be pounded with a hammer to increase the rate and amount of absorption. Just as with fresh flowers the cut stems of foliage branches readily absorb the liquid, and the preserving process will be visible to the eye as the stem drink the preservative. Check the liquid level frequently, as refills of the formula may be needed before processing is complete.
When the stems have absorbed as much liquid as possible, the preserved foliage can be used in flower arrangements. If the
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