| Gardening Quick Tip: Drying Ornamental Grasses |
From "Ask DIY" episode ADI-408 |
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According to Ask DIY gardening pro Jessie Mack-Burns, you can dry ornamental grasses for use in arrangements in the same way that you dry flowers: by hanging them upside down until they dry. Here are some suggestions.
- The best time to pick and collect ornamental grasses for drying is in the middle of the afternoon, while it's sunny and dry outside.
- Try to pick stems with seed-heads that haven't opened all the way yet.
- Trim off the leaves, then bind several stalks together with rubber bands.
- Hang them upside down in a room that's cool, dry and dark.
- Cat-tails and other plants with heavy seed-heads are an exception to the "upside-down" rule. Stand these upright in a vase for drying.
- It may take a few weeks for your grasses to dry completely. Then, they'll be ready for floral arrangements.
- Tip: For fragile seed-heads, use a little hairspray to help hold them together.
RESOURCES :
Dried Flowers for All Seasons
ISBN: 0895775220
Author: Jenny Raworth and Susan Berry
Readerb
Decorating With Dried Flowers
ISBN: 051756923X
Author: Malcolm Hillier
Harmony Books / Crown Publishers, Inc. / Random House
Website: www.randomhouse.com
Sensational Dried Flowers : Make Arrangements So Beautiful They Look Fresh
Model: 0875968007
Author: Esther Davis
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