Drying herbs and flowers “extends” their season by making them available for later use while cutting down on waste! Their oils, scents and flavors are preserved in time. Many flowers and herbs have a single peak season during the year and it is special to be able to enjoy them later on. Not sure where to start? We would recommend starting with flowers and herbs you know you will love having on hand. Herbs for culinary dishes, herbal tea, and potpourri, and flowers for crafting, fall home decor, gifts and potpourri are a few of the uses for dried harvests.
In fact, most herbs and flowers in the home garden benefit from trimming and deadheading (removing flower blossoms); this sends energy to the roots of the plant, encouraging growth and overall plant health. Removing flower blossoms oftentimes means you’ll get another flush of fresh flowers later on too! Late season flowers can be left on the plant to dry and for collecting seeds or they can be left for wildlife to enjoy during the cold months. Other times you may have surprlus flowers and herbs on hand? Growers offer seasonal discounts at the farmer’s markets, surplus herbs are in your CSA share (Community Supported Agriculture), your bouquet of flowers if too beautiful to throw out or compost, you’d like to preserve sentimental arrangements from a wedding or funeral, and the list goes on.
Behind the scenes at our farm, drying racks are packed with some of the latest fresh garden harvests—these racks are industrious everyday tools that we use from spring through fall for herbs, flowers & thin-walled peppers like Tabasco & Cayenne. The nets zip closed during use & are conveniently folded up for storage during the off-season; they rely on air circulation to dehydrate goods & can hold bulk product. We would recommend using a tool like this or custom racks if you are interested in drying bulk flowers and herbs. See photo of the 8-shelf netted rack below.
On a smaller scale herbs/flowers can be dried by bunching & hanging, by placing them in brown paper bags (be sure to check on these and shake them a bit to avoid mold) or by laying them out on a screen or baking pan. If you fear the air is too humid or there is a not enough circulation, you could kick-start the drying process for a couple of days by using a fan. Herb and flower drying doesn’t have to take up a lot of space. Many times, we have ceiling rafter space, a corner of the room for a rack or another similar area of our homes available to use. Get creative in your space and go vertical if you need to!
Hanging flower stems to dry is just as simple. Be sure to strip flower stems of extra leaves/foliage before arranging the stems for drying, paying close to attention to the amount of air flow your flower bunch will have. Ten stems of many flowers will work well, while larger stems (like sunflowers) will get more air flow as bunches of 3-4 stems. It is quick work when bunched using rubber bands; slip part of the rubber band that is used to bunch the stems over a nail, or pull part of the rubber band up and around a wire rack or clothesline you are using to hang the flowers for drying. See photos below.
Overall, herbs and flowers air dry quickly (in 2-3 weeks) during the heat of the summer. They are best dried in a place with air circulation and out of direct sunlight. Make the most of your bounty and create a space for drying!
