Petals like calendula and roses, and rose, and all the flowers for post pours, should be dried in a dust – free environment with good ventilation out of direct sunlight. This is usually done by laying petals or whole, small flowers on gauze stretched over a frame so that the air can circulate. At a pinch, they can be laid on newspaper but then they need to be turned occasionally. Make sure the petals do not overlap as they may not dry properly. The ideal temperature for the first day is 900F (320C) then 75 800F (24-280C) afterwards. Allow four to seven days for small flowers and up to two or three weeks for thick petals. Small rose buds and the thick petals of lilies will need turning once or twice. Several flowers such as lavender, chamomile, delphiniums, larkspur, love-in-a-mist and the everlasting flowers can be dried on the stem. Either lay the flowering stems on open trays or hang them upside down in small bunches, not more than ten stems together. If only the lavender flowers are required, say for sweet bags or recipes, they can be rubbed off when wanted but don’t discard the stems. Burn them on an open fire for fragrance or make incense by soaking them with 1 tbsp dissolved saltpeter for 30 minutes. The same drying procedure is used for medicinal and cosmetic recipes. The best quality is necessary for medical, culinary and tea herbs and each variety should be tried separately so that confusion dos not arise. Cleanliness must be a priority during drying and storage. Finally, store the flowers in dark jars or paper bags, with the name and date. Those required for decoration need to be stored flat in a rigid container.
