We are having quite a heat wave here in the Mid-Atlantic states. I decided to take advantage of the heat at hand.
I picked quite a few of my hydrangea flowers last night. They are beginning to show streaks of contrasting colors as they mature. I have always had a hard time getting the hydrangea blossoms to dry without brown spots appearing. I have tried the traditional method of pressing in between pages of a book. I have experimented with the microwave. I have had no luck with either method. This time I am trying something new.
I pressed the hydrangea petals in between the pages of a book, and then I put that book in the back seat of my car, covered with another book and a weight, and backed up the car into the hottest part of the driveway. I’ll update the results in a day or two.
I also decided to use the heat to flash dry some parsley that is on the verge of going to seed. I lightly rinsed it and laid it upon a towel draped pizza sheet and put it in my trunk. The heat inside will quickly dry the herb, and the darkness will help retain the color…I hope.
I’ll update the progress in a day or two.
Hi can’t wait to see how they turned out. I started pressing my first batch of roses yesterday. Wondering what I can do with them. Any suggestions?
By: allgoodthings on July 20, 2012
at 5:54 am
Roses are great, but they are not one of the best for color retention. They look pretty framed as a solo act in a small frame. They are a little thick to use under clear Coverseal or contact. You can also use Modge Podge type medium to glue them and waterproof them.
By: timelesslady on July 20, 2012
at 7:49 am
wow thank you for all the info. Your right, my roses turned out to be quite dark than I expected. I think I need to start experimenting. What about leaves?Are they a good idea to press?
By: allgoodthings on July 20, 2012
at 7:55 am
I’ve never pressed the leaves of roses too much. I can’t remember if they press well or not. I think they darken a bit, but not as much as the rose petals. I tend to use “weedy” flower leaves. The regular oval shaped leaves look very boring on a pressed flower arrangement, but leaves that are sparse…such as weed leaves, with their interesting shapes, create something called “negative space” and add much more interest to the composition. Queen Anne’s lace leaves grow low to the ground. Since the plant grows in dry conditions these work great in pressing. Ferns press great, but lose their greens, still the brownish green they become is pretty. Look for weeds. Don’t forget curving stems for a natural look. Try to press everything you find. A spotted, discolored diseased leaf can be turned into a birdhouse or other “wooden” looking garden art. I’ll try to have another post in a week or two on what you can do with the odd items. Have FUN…
By: timelesslady on July 20, 2012
at 8:02 am
That’s a lot for me to digest in one day! Thank you so much for the quick reply. I am getting into a pressing spree now!
By: allgoodthings on July 20, 2012
at 8:06 am
[...] trunk of my car to flash dry parsley has been one of my better “quirky” ideas. The parsley dried to a perfect crispness in [...]
By: Quirkiness – Using the Heat at Hand/Drying Herbs « Minding My P's With Q on July 13, 2012
at 5:35 am