How To Dry Rose Petals

Garden Roses are almost unbearably beautiful. Their sumptuous heads bursting with flouncing scented ruffles, are the epitome of romance and all that is wonderful about a summers garden.

In terms of vase life however, they are rather fleeting. Gracing us for perhaps three days, if we’re lucky.

How I prolong my enjoyment of these wonderblooms is to dry their petals. There are many ways to achieve this, but this is the method I use which has never let me down before! Afterwards you can sprinkling some over your bath perhaps, like I do. They also make a lovely natural confetti.

Method:

I harvest my Rose blooms during the deadheading process. For those in a vase simply strip the head completely with a delicate touch once the petals being to fall.

Take a baking tray (or something similar), which is long and flat. Line with several sheets of decent kitchen towel and spread the petals out in an even layer. Then place somewhere warm and bright, like a windowsill. When it's sunny they don’t really need rotating, as the sun is warm enough to dry them through. If it’s a bit cloudy I would rotate them occasionally, by gently turning them over with your hands. This process usually only takes a few days. Store in a cardboard box and enjoy at your leisure!