You can change all that by drying many of your garden flowers and using them to decorate indoors. Jerri Hopkins has been drying flowers for decades, using them as touches in custom floral arrangements for her shop, Plantiques in Newport News. Some floral experts say a cool, dark place is best but Jerri finds the heat of a summer attic does the trick. The garage usually yields too much humidity, causing the flowers to mildew or mold, she says. For drying, she favors Silver King artemisia, globe amaranth, golden yarrow, hydrangeas, roses and okra pods.
Hydrangeas can be tricky to dry.
You have to pick them at just the right time, says Jerri. That right time is when the flowers are slightly mature, taking on an opaque look. The blooms will feel a bit papery and rustle when you touch them. Instead, nicely dried hydrangeas take on purplish, greenish and beige tones. To dry hydrangeas and roses the easy way, place long stems of the flowers in a vase containing one inch of water.