Make your own potpourri

When the garden is abloom with the sights and scents of summer, it is prime time to preserve some of the floral bounty. With a little old-fashioned know-how, you can outsmart Mother Nature and keep the most delicate petals well into winter and beyond. The age-old tradition of preserving flowers is not only a means of prolonging the pleasure of petals, but also a great excuse to get out in the garden and spend time with your flowers. There are three ways to dry and display the beautiful blooms from your garden: press, air dry and water dry. The first step, however, is to collect your blooms. The best time to do this is on a dry and sunny day when petals are fresh and free of dew. If you plan to use the air-dry method, it is best to cut the flowers just before buds fully open, because mature blooms will more likely lose their petals in the drying process. For air dry and water dry, you will also want to leave at least 6 inches of stem. Pressing is the most popular method of preservation, because you can capture the color and beauty of delicate "flat-faced" flowers like violets, lilies, pansies, apple blossoms and larkspur. To press, simply place a flower face down on parchment paper placed in the middle of a heavy book. Leave the flowers undisturbed for at least 10 days under a stack of heavy books. You can also purchase a flower press that has the capacity to press several layers of blooms. Air drying is also easy, but requires a little more room than pressing. The flowers are hung or placed on drying racks in a dry, warm and dark location, as the darkness helps preserve the color. For hanging, gather a handful of stems and tie them with twine, ribbon or rubber bands. Flowers that hang well include baby's breath, statice, goldenrod, heather and lavender. Peonies and roses air-dry best when placed on racks or screens. Hang the bunches in a closet, attic or shed for two to three weeks. Water dry sounds unlikely, but flowers like hydrangea, yarrow, bells of Ireland and celosia dry best if placed in water first. Arrange flowers in a glass vase of water, making sure stems are at least halfway submerged. Place them in a dry, warm and dark location. Allow water to naturally absorb into the flowers and evaporate. Once the water is totally gone, the flowers should feel dry to the touch. There are endless ways to show off your potpourri of dried flowers. Simply remove the petals from the stems and mix varieties together in a large bowl, adding fragrant dried fruit or a few drops of essential oils for extra scent. Enjoy! Beltz is an Ohio State University Extension Hancock County Master Gardener Volunteer and a retired nurse. Find us on Facebook at Hancock County Master Gardener Volunteers.