Show Flowers F All Year ear Americas America's pioneer women were experts at drying fresh flowers You too can enjoy flower arrangements all winter by selecting selecting selecting select select- ing fresh blooms at the florist shop now and preserving them Here are two flower-drying flower methods The first remove leaves from flowers Do not place material to tobe tobe tobe be dried in water Tie in bunches and hang upside down in a dry cool dark place Leaves and ferns are best preserved if flattened in books or on a flat surface under a heavy object This process takes from two to three weeks The second method combine two pounds of borax and five pounds of corn meal and add two tablespoons benzoate of soda Mix thoroughly Place about two inches of the mixture in a shallow box Remove stems of flowers to be dried Place blossoms face up lip in box Lay leaves carefully cut away from stems of course flat Space blossoms and leaves so they are not not touching Gently sprinkle drying mixture completely over flowers and leaves Arrange additional layers layers layers lay lay- ers of flowers covering each with powder until container is filled Make box as airtight as possible by taping a piece of aluminum foil or plastic over the top and sides An AD inexpensive and ready-made ready chemical that will also do the drying job is silica gel It is reusable and sold under various commercial names at department and handicraft handicraft handicraft handi handi- craft stores garden centers and florist florist florist flo flo- rist shops When flowers are arc dry remove powder gently Thrust a two or three-inch three section of No 20 florists florist's wire through each blossom head securing wires wire's placement by bending bending bending bend bend- ing it to hook f form rm at head flower-head end Twist the end of this short wire to longer wire that has been cut to desired stem length Wrap the two with green floral tape The final touch attach dried leaves with tape |