Would you like to keep your house full of flowers right through the winter? You can

do it by drying your favourite blossoms in your microwave oven. Whatever you use,

cut the flowers late in the morning, after the dew has dried. This is a good way

for preserving the flowers and decorating your household!

Line a microwave-safe container with a bed of silica gel crystals (available at

craft stores) and heat at "high" for three mins to make sure that the crystals are

as dry as possible.

Pour an inch of warm crystals into a heavy glass wide enough to accomodate the

flower you're drying.

Snip the flower stem so that only an inch remains attached to the flower, then
stick the stem into the crystals so that the blossom stands upright.

Gradually pour the remaining warm crystals down the side of the glass until the

flower is completely covered.

Microwave at "high" for 1 minute 45 seconds for rosebbuds or up to 4 or 5 mins for

larger blossoms.

Cool the buds for 20 mins, then gently pour off the crystals. Clean the flower

petals carefully with a fine paintbrush, then mist lightly with an acrylic spray.

You should experiment with imperfect blossoms to judge precise timing.

You can also string them up upside down over empty space such as high up in a

closet doorway (provided you don't close the door!) in a dryer area of the house

(not in your bathroom) and leave them for 2-3 weeks. This will ensure that they are

dried in an upright position and the bloom isn't falling over. The knots on the

stem will also become looser due to water loss so you may want to check them and

carefully tighten them every 5-7 days or so.

Beware that your dried flowers will come out a couple of shades darker.