A couple of years ago, I made it a habit to cut bouquets from my garden throughout the summer. Even a small arrangement on the corner of a desk or the middle of the dining room table brightened the time spent on chores that prevented me from being outdoors. This summer, I am taking it a step further by drying some of the blossoms for fall and winter decorations.

For some flower species, drying is as simple as it sounds. Flower stems can simply be bundled and hung upside-down in a warm, dry, dark place such as a closet or attic. Drying in this manner usually takes two to three weeks. The best choices for drying are flowers that already have semi-dry petals, such as baby’s breath and bachelor buttons. Cockscomb (celosia), sea lavender, globe amaranth, strawflower, and statice are also prime choices for simple drying, as well as some larger-flowered varieties including yarrow, sage and larkspur.

When selecting flowers to dry, be very selective about quality. Insect feeding and other blemishes will be even more apparent after the drying process. Try to get flowers that are just on the verge of being fully open or ones that have just finished opening up. These are the freshest specimens and will retain their appearance better than flowers that have already begun to fade.

Ornamental grasses and seed pods can be dried by hanging in a warm, dark place and add texture to arrangements. Some of my favorites are the seed pods of lotus and cattail (you may have to seek out a friend with a pond for these) and the seed heads of foxtail and sea oats.

For flowers with petals that contain more moisture, better-quality drying can be achieved with the help of desiccants. Silica gel provides the best results of the desiccants available. To dry flowers using silica gel, place the gel and blossoms you wish to dry in a shallow, airtight container. The silica gel only needs to be deep enough to cover the blossoms, and you may need to add a little at a time around the blossom to help it hold its shape.

Once the flowers are covered, put the lid on the container and leave it for one to five days, depending on the species. Just be sure to leave the blossoms in the silica gel until they are completely dry.

Silica gel can be reused multiple times. Follow manufacturers’ recommendations for drying the silica gel between uses and storage.

Another option for a desiccant (the one my mother used) is to mix borax with fine sand or white cornmeal. Cornmeal is preferred over sand as the weight of sand will crush some blossoms. Ratio recommendations vary amongst sources, but the University of Missouri reports that there is little difference in quality, so anything from a 1-to-1 to a 1-to-6 ratio is acceptable. Place the borax mixture in an open container with the blossoms and leave it uncovered during the drying process.

Microwaving, freeze-drying and the use of glycerin are additional options for preserving flowers, but are best left to professionals or gardeners with flower-drying experience.

— Jennifer Smith is a former horticulture extension agent for K-State Research and Extension and horticulturist for Lawrence Parks and Recreation. She is the host of “The Garden Show” and has been a gardener since childhood. Send your gardening questions and feedback to Lawrence Living@ljworld.com.