Landscaping & Gardening Information | home | site map | contact us |
Beauty After life - Plants For Drying - Grasses
Dried plants and dried flowers are midway for people who cannot afford gardens or costly fresh flowers and artifical flowers or plants for decoration. The household woman will get immense satisfaction, if she can nurture the hobby of making these dried flowers and plants, and then decorate her home. But few are aware of the type of plants and flowers to select for drying and the methods of drying while retaining the original beauty without much loss of color or shape. Agrostis: Two commonly grown grass species are Agrostis nebulosa (also called cloud grass) and Agrostis pulchella, are annuals and can be grown easily in pots through seeds. They grow to about 10-12 inches in height, and have panicles which present a misty cloud effect. Avena: This oat species can be an important attraction to floral arrangements when dried. It is usually grown as an annual and is a popular ornamental grass. Pennisetum: Many species of this grass are extremely decorative grassesn for floral artwork, but are suited to greenhouse and conservatory decoration. These have a long long inflorescence consisting of white or purplich bristles. Triticum: This ordinary wheat species has well known spikes which are valued for their decoratory attraction and the dried panicles are often used in floral arrangements for harvest festivals.The most suited species of this class is Triticum spelta, which is a hardy annual and grows upto 2 feet tall. Hordeum: This is commonly known as barley or squirrel tail grass. It is easily raised from seed as a hardy annual and grows about 12 inches in height. Phalaris: The species Phalaris arundinacea pitca is a beautiful variegated perennial for the herbaceous border.The leaves are striped white and green and the panicles are greenish purple. It grows about 3-5 feet high and has short inflorescences colored green, white and purple. Method of Drying: The fresh leaves are dipped in 50% glycerine solution for a few days before drying under sheets of paper or in folds of a thick carpet. Glycerine helps to make the leaves more flexible and increases the durability of dried plants. A fair number of flowers have inbuilt property to retain shape and color very well after ordinary drying. The flowers should be picked up when they are just opened, and hanging them upside down until they are absolutely dry. The cut stems are dried upside down so that they maintain an erect rigidity when subsequently used for decoration and stems have stiffened. For floral art work it may sometimes be advantageous to dry a few stems so that they give curved lines to an arrangement. Ravikumar Uppaluri is from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh State in India.The author Holds a Masters degree in Agricultural Sciences and is cofounder of an organization involved in Nature conservation and sustainable development. The author can be reached at uravikumar@yahoo.com
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Gardeners Gift Ideas Plant lovers and backyard enthusiasts are special people who will love your thoughtfulness when you chose a garden gift for them. If someone you know spends more than ninety percent of their day pruning and pairing, selecting garden gifts for their next birthday or anniversary might be the perfect token of your appreciation. Patio Accessories - Complete The Great Outdoors Patio accessories can range from small to large and of all types of materials and styles depending on your garden décor. Outdoor entertaining on the patio or backyard has skyrocketed in the last few years as people are treating their patios as outdoor rooms. Perfume Your Garden and Home with Gardenias One of my favorite plants is the large white-flowered Mystery Gardenia (gardenia jasminoides) that grows to about 5' tall and wide. The perfume-like scent adds an exotic feeling to gardens. Organic Gardening "Organic gardening is not just the avoidance of chemicals, in the larger view, it is organic living using nature's laws." I read this quote by an unknown person sometime ago and realized that my parents and others like them were organic gardeners long before the current resurrection of these principles. Brilliant Beetroot! Are you looking for a truly versatile vegetable to grow and serve? Try beetroot! It has the most amazing colourand texture. Varieties range in colour from gold to deep red/purple and are delicious raw, boiled, baked, pickled and juiced. The String Algae Blues Now that Spring is upon us and things are coming back to life in your pond with the warmer weather, many of us are battling with string algae. String algae is caused primarily by a combination of the buildup of organic nutrients in the water, and sunlight. The Importance of Garden Decor The Quest for SignificancePeople are looking for ways to add significance, peace of mind, a quality experience, and an escape from the "rat-race" in their lives. Stated differently, people want to add depth and meaning to their lives. Greenhouse Calamities - Thoughts from a Novice Gardener Greenhouses are a great addition to anyone's garden. They come in all different sizes and you can nestle them right where you want them and with smaller versions of greenhouses you can move them quite easily. Poly Tarps: More Than Meets The Eye To many people, "tarp" conjures an image of a crumpled canvas in the corner of the garage, or maybe that shiny blue plastic sheet in the hardware store.But tarps are the beneficiary of some of the best technology in textile and chemical treatments. Solar Garden Lights Solar lights are very popular for lighting yards and gardens. They are virtually maintenance free, easy to install, and cost almost nothing to run. Basics of Pruning Roses Pruning your roses does not need to be a dreaded task. Follow these tips and make rose pruning an easy gardening job. Can Your Sundial Really Tell The Time? "I am a sundial, and I make a botch Of what is done far better by a watch"So wrote Hilaire Belloc, but is this really fair? Sundials are the earliest known form of time-keeping having been used for some five thousand years. The Greek historian Herodotus stated that sundials were first used by the Chaldeans and Sumerians in Babylonia which was part of the modern Iraq. Park Benches One of the best ways to create a warm and inviting outdoor space is to incorporate the use of park benches into your outdoor decor. Whether they are simple or grand, park benches send a subtle message to your neighbors and guests that you want your outdoor space to be appreciated and enjoyed by all. Planting Roses in Pots In years past, serious rosarians would never consider having a potted rose on their property unless it was just waiting for its home to be prepared in the garden.Times have changed and potted roses now have a place in the lives of condo and apartment dwellers, city slickers who don't live within sight of a tree, and anyone who has an empty space on their terrace or patio in need of the beauty that only a rose can bring. Outdoor Furniture: Exploring the Benefits of Teak Of the many types of materials that are available for the construction of outdoor furniture, teak is often overlooked. This beautiful wood - of tropical origin - adds character and elegance to your outdoor design through a blending of nature and man-made elements which provide an outstanding aesthetic presentation to any yard. Mosquito Farms? Is That What Water Gardens Are? What is nicer that a lovely backyard garden pond. The lush growth rising above the water, graceful fish darting about and the soothing sound of the water. Wild Flower Garden - Make Amends...Your Plants Will Love It A wild flower garden, just like any garden you wish to plant, requires good quality soil that will meet the needs of the plants you put in it. That means that your garden soil may need some amendment. Tranquility in Your Own Back Yard A garden fountain can add beauty and serenity to you yard or garden. It's long been known that running water can aid in relaxation. Decorate Your Outdoor Spaces on a Budget! Many times when the weather becomes sultry, the only place we want to be is in our favorite chair on the porch, sipping ice-cold lemonade! So, if we are to spend our summer months languishing with Mother Nature, why not treat our "outdoor room" to a little freshening up, and make our time outdoors more enjoyable! Here are some great, easy ideas you can use to add your own personal style to a much used "summer home"!Treat your outdoor space just like an indoor room when you think about decorating it. Mother Nature has got the ceiling covered in most cases, but you should think about floors, furniture, accessories, color, and, yes, walls, just like any other project! Choose a theme, even if it's just color!Use existing fencing, tall plants, trellising, etc. The Indoor Garden: Plants that Clean the Air There are many reasons for creating an indoor garden - significant among them is the need to clean the toxins from our homes and offices. As a consequence of the energy crisis in the 1970's, today's homes and offices are built to conserve energy and the outcome has been a lack of air exchange, with the resulting increase of indoor air pollution. |
home | site map | contact us |