1. Drying Roses by Cindy Garrett Sunglow Miniflora from Whit Wells

2. Drying Roses Commonly used methods: Microwave Air Drying

3. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Materials you will need Dust mask Silica Gel Dried Flower Spray Small brushes Microwave safe jar

4. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Selecting Roses Should be only partially opened Stem length is limited to vertical size of container you can get in your microwave Brightly colored blooms generally work best

5. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Partially fill jar with silica gel Place flowers, stem down into silica gel Do not let flowers touch

6. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Slowly fill remaining portion of jar with gel Make sure silica gel fills in between petals Cover flower completely, but carefully

7. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Place container with roses in microwave Place 1 cup of water in rear corner of microwave

8. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Heat on high for 1 to 3 minutes, depending upon size of flower(s). Longer heating time may be required for larger flowers. All ovens are different, so you may need to experiment with time.

9. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Carefully remove from oven Let jar and gel completely cool

10. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Slowly pour the silica gel from the jar

11. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Carefully remove flowers

12. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Gently brush any excess grains of gel from petals and stem

13. Drying Roses in Microwave Oven Examples of dried miniatures

14. Air Drying Roses Easiest and cheapest method of drying roses Blooms will not maintain their usual form Blooms should be harvested on a dry day after dew has evaporated Blooms can be grouped in bunches and hung upside down in a dry, dark and well ventilated area Let dry for several days Routinely check to determine when flowers are fully dried