It's easy to dry hydrangeas, but for best results they must be picked at the proper time. If you examine the flower heads of many hydrangeas, you'll see two types of flowers: larger outer flowers and tiny flowers in the centers. Hydrangeas must be cut with long stems when the tiny inner flowers are fully open. If you cut earlier, the entire flower will wilt and close. Cut later, and you lose the color. Place cut flower heads in a deep vase filled with water. Add a floral preservative or some lemon-lime soda to help preserve the flowers. If you don't use a preservative, change the water frequently. Keep blooms in the water until they feel dry and leathery. Or let the water evaporate completely, then remove the dried blooms. This method also works well for Limonium (statice). Once the flowers are dry, you may spray-paint them any color you like. Or add food coloring to the water during the drying process. Another plant that dries well for flower arrangements is the hot chili pepper. Chose varieties that grow upward-facing fruit. Harvest when the chilies are red, and hang them upside down in a dry, warm place such as an attic or the space over a water heater. Sunflowers may be dried by laying cut blooms, with petals facing up, on a bed of dry sand. Gently sift more sand over the flowers until all the petals are covered, and leave in place for at least one week. The timing will depend on the temperature of the room. Celosia is an excellent flower to dry. You can air-dry blooms by hanging them upside down in a hot, dry place. The larger the flowers, the more heat is required to dry them quickly. The process may take as long as two weeks. Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora', also called PeeGee hydrangea, is very popular with florists and floral arrangers. Its huge blooms look great as dried flowers or in fresh arrangements. Encourage plants into an upright growth habit by pruning out the lower branches and giving the plant the shape of a small tree. This will develop sturdy stems that can support heavy flowers. Yarrow, zinnia, larkspur, anemone, peony, statice, bridal wreath, lavender and gomphrena also make excellent dried flowers. Bundles of flowers can be tied together with rubber bands for drying upside down in a warm, dry area. If you use silica gel, available at craft stores, to dry flowers, sift the gel over the blossoms very gently. The most common mistake people make with silica gel is leaving blooms in the gel too long. Overly dry flowers will shatter. Package instructions usually say flowers should be left in the gel for five days, but that may be too long. Check blooms frequently, sifting the gel back in place afterward. Flowers may be dried in sand without the worry of leaving them in too long. And sand is much less expensive. Use sand just as you would silica gel: lay blooms on a bed of sand, and gently sift the sand over them until the petals are just covered. Once flowers are dry, store them in open boxes so that air can circulate around them. A bed of foam peanuts makes a good support for flowers in open boxes.
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