Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Old and Withered


"I must have flowers, always, and always"


I feel the same as Claude Monet, but it gets expensive buying fresh flowers for every room each week.


Despite having lots of flowers in my garden,


I don't want to cut them because I love seeing them in the garden.


So, I have taken to drying flowers


once they begin to fade.


This has been my drying rack - hanging in the kitchen,


but I thought it was time to read read up on drying flowers 

via

and I found this website - Johnny's Selected Seeds where I discovered that I was doing one thing wrong.


Some of my roses retain their pretty color and these hydrangeas kept their pretty green,


but white roses don't stay white.


The article said to hang them upside down and I was doing that, but they need to be in a dark place to retain their color.


I need to buy some orange roses and hang them in the garage to compare the colors of these that were dried on my rack.


These Matsumoto Asters are on day two of no water in hopes that they will dry to this pretty color.


These Black Eyed Susans in the garden need to be snipped and hung in the garage before they wilt too much.


But, I like this rustic look - they will be fun in fall vignettes.


I'm a beginner at drying flowers, so any tips you have will be appreciated.


Meanwhile, I will simply enjoy decorating with dried flowers.


Like me, they are old and withered, but still have a lot to offer.

31 comments:

  1. Hi there. I just love to visit your blog! My family has rented a beach house in Sunset Beach for the month of August. We are splitting the time up between my brothers, and Mom and myself. We took the first week, as our grandson, whom I babysit, will be going back to school next week. It was a fabulous time. I thought of you, and your lovely spot in Ventura. You had visited my blog and asked where in So Cal I live. We are in Corona. HOT, hot, hot. We have been gone for the past two and half weeks to cooler climates. First Big Bear, and then the beach.
    xo Kris

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  2. They are so pretty even when dry! I have lots of dried ones shoved in the cabinets because I can't bear to part with them. Sometimes I put them all into a bowl and make a potpourri. Love your heart wreath though! I might try that. :)

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  3. I just left some roses from my mother's funeral in a glass cabinet. They yellowed but retained a little of the gorgeous peachy pink that they were. Never did hang them upside down.

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  4. Carol, The flowers are even pretty dried. I have saved a few from funerals, if the petals fall off, I put them in a pretty clear container. I have saved some of the big flower heads from my hydrangea. As your garden flower start to age you could snip a few then. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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  5. Your flowers are so pretty, Carol! I love dried flowers and had a dried floral design business in the past. I hadn't heard the darkness hint!

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  6. I haven't even tried to dry them after I had a fail with some homegrown hydrangeas a while back. Please share any tips you receive with us please!

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  7. When I seen your post I thought I hope she's not talking about herself! I love drying my flowers and sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don't! I've been playing with pressing flowers inside my Mom's very old bible. Zinnias, ferns, cosmos and salvias come out really nice.

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  8. But also still so beautiful - also like you! I don't have any drying tips for you - this is something I've never done.

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  9. Hi Carol,
    I think you are doing a great job with drying out flowers. They look beautiful. The only thing I ever heard of is drying them hanging upside down get great results. Love seeing all the ways you have used your pretty dried flowers in your home. Happy Thursday.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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  10. Good Morning
    I love dried flowers. I never think to dry anything but roses. I had no idea you can dry sunflowers or black eyed susans. And in a dark place? I didn't know that. I love the way you display yours.
    deezie

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  11. Hello there Carol! Oh, I agree; if I could, I've have fresh flowers in my home all the time, but even from our trusted TJs, it can start to get expensive if we had to replace fresh flowers all the time. I love your idea of taking from your garden and drying them, to make them last even longer. Old and withered is beautiful, no matter what the object or person!!!!!! We do have much to offer, don't we!

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  12. Loved this post. I haven't dried flowers for awhile, I'm going to start again. Your pictures were so pretty.

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  13. Oh you and BJ are killing me this week! I just read her blog and saw 'the' wreaths and come to yours and there it is in the opening photo! As I told her, I was so inspired by the two of you I went out and bought a package of wire. It is right here next to the computer. . .waiting. Waiting for me to figure out how to make the wreath. Of course it is so hot here that our rose blooms are drying on the bushes (similar looking to corn flakes). I told BJ I might just paste a posey to the package and thumb tack it up. Talent not. But I love your wreaths all the same!! xx J

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  14. The title, old and withered sounds like me! I too love the dried flowers and only have a few. They take on a vintage look when dried, I had hydrangeas but now only have some roses!

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  15. Carol, this the only time I have known more than you about flowers and will not happen again, trust me.

    I know to hang them upside down and in a dim area.

    I learned Hydrangeas put in water and let them feel like paper in a dim area. I'm going to use my dining room table. Not a lot of light

    I also found on Pinterest alum dipped on the ends of hydrangea after cut in the morning keeps them longer for display.

    Your flowers amaze

    Have a great day

    Cindy

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  16. Love that drying rack and thanks so much for the preservation tip! As always, your photos are so lovely and transport me to a happy and tranquil place.

    Big Texas Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

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  17. Oh, I didn't get to my sunflowers in the garden quick enuf and all the yellow petals are gone...I still cut a few of the seed pods thinking they, too, would be nice to use in the fall. I've never put my flowers to dry in the dark but I just hung a bunch in one of my seldom used closets...we'll see....:)

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  18. Ooh, Carol, I love this! I honestly didn't know you could simply just dry and all. I'm a lot like you - I cut a few in the garden, but not a lot. I'd rather see them in the garden. I know the hydrangeas do get a little brittle when dried, and my lavender sheds a bit, but have never looked into actually trying to 'preserve' them. Yours look really great!

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  19. Dear Carol ~ your dried flowers are all so pretty and I love how you decorate with them. I need to pick more flowers to dry and use later.

    Thanks for sharing ~ FlowerLady

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  20. I've always hung them upside down but I'll admit they aren't in a dark room. I'll have to give that a try. I love how you've styled them.

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  21. I'm always drying my hydrangeas but not so much others. Although I agree -- it's tough cutting the flowers because then they aren't outside anymore! Fortunately, my sweet peas are overly prolific. Next year more zinnias, though!

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  22. Beautiful dried flowers great photos. Have a blessed day. Madeline

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  23. Carol, all your dried flowers look so pretty.I have dried roses by just letting the water in the vase dry up and they sometimes turn out well and sometimes not. The same with hydrangeas. Sometimes with just a tiny bit of water they will dry. The only really good luck I have had is with the limelight hydrangeas. I just planted a bush last summer and picked them at end of summer and put them in tiny bit of water and they all dried perfectly. to a beautiful autumn color. Fresh or dried, flowers are just the best tools for decorating..Happy Weekend..xxoJudy

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  24. Just gorgeous, Carol! I like how you used them scattered about, not just bunches in vases. The drying rack looks like a piece of art!

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  25. I like what you did with the chicken wire .. very nice. I dry herbs, flowers and grass. My favorite flower to dry are Gomphrena.

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  26. They are gorgeous Carol, and add beauty everywhere you use them! I have an old rack in my craft room that I hang mine on. It's quite dark down there without the light on. Especially right now. Ivy has filled up the window and has really darkened the room. Although I love the look, I am going to pull it all out because I need light when crafting. :)
    hugs,
    Jann

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  27. Thank you so much for information on how to dry roses. I love the look of such blooms in autumnal arrangements.

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  28. I've never been very good at this, but I love reading the comments and tips. Maybe I should try again since my garden is full right now. Thanks for the inspiration Carol. Can't wait to see your dried blooms in fall, too...

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  29. Fresh flowers or dry flowers, it doesn´t matter...they are always beautiful!
    Have a happy day and take care :)
    Titti

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  30. Stunning! I think dried flowers are perfect summer to fall. So many gorgeous images here Carol!

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  31. Oh I'm so behind in my comments on blogs! I saved yours as wanted to comment... the dried flowers you've achieved are so so pretty! I love them...love "natural" ones.. I've never tried it but some have dried by themselves due to my own neglect (not watering)!!! I think dried hydrangeas are about the prettiest ever.. I can never seem to grown one.. I've tried many times! Yes.. sometimes old and withered can be a good thing!!! Have a lovely weekend! Marilyn

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