Of all the drinks known to mankind, tea is considered the most noble. It does not cause intoxication, it is refreshing, and the most sophisticated connoisseurs admire the exquisite tastes of its different varieties. In a broad sense, tea can be any drink prepared by infusing leaves, herbs, pieces of fruit or berries in boiling water. This drink was originally used as medicine. Depending on the plant material, the properties of tea and its intended purpose changed. This article will discuss methods for collecting and preparing tea raw materials, methods of brewing tea, its blends, indications and contraindications for drinking this drink.

From which plant leaves?

Almost all cultivated garden plants are suitable for collecting leaves and then brewing them. This raw material does not contain theine or caffeine, but it releases tannins, sugars and vitamins into the boiling water, which strengthen the immune system and stimulate digestion.

First of all, pay attention to the foliage of fruit and fruit trees. These include quince, apple, chokeberry, cherry, red cherry, pear, plum, and sea buckthorn.

The tea made from such leaves is aromatic and has a lot of tannins. It invigorates, tones, and has an immunomodulatory effect. This drink softens mucous membranes and thins the blood.

The second group includes raw materials from deciduous trees. These are maple, linden, walnut. Not everyone will like this tea, but its benefits are undeniable. The drink strengthens the walls of blood vessels, cleanses the liver, and prevents age-related heart problems. It is recommended to drink it for people who are exhausted by a long illness, or those who suffer from overwork.
The third group is foliage from berry and nut bushes. This group includes red and black currants, raspberries, blackberries, hazels, dogwoods, rose hips, gooseberries, and sloe. A real vitamin bomb, a drink made from the leaves of shrubs is useful for hypovitaminosis. It improves your health oral cavity, increases vascular tone, has a slight astringent effect and produces a cleansing effect.
Last group, leaves of herbs and berries, includes the well-known mint, lemon balm, strawberries, wild strawberries, chamomile, dandelion. These teas help with disorders nervous system. They have a calming effect, eliminate sleep problems, and quickly quench thirst.

Did you know? Tea- an oriental drink, and its homeland is China. The exact origin of the tea remains unknown. There is a version according to which the Chinese Emperor Shen was relaxing at lunchtime under a camellia tree when his servant brought him a cup of boiling water. Some camellia leaves accidentally fell into the cup. The emperor, out of curiosity, decided to try this gift of nature, and he liked the taste of the drink so much that the emperor ordered from then on to treat him exclusively with it. This supposedly happened in the 2700s BC. Tea from camellia leaves is still prepared today.- these are the famous black and green tea .

When to collect

Plant leaves reach the peak of their benefits during flowering, so focus on it. Collection times for different climatic zones in this case it will vary. On average, the harvest begins in April and ends in the twenties of July. Plan your gathering for the first half of the day. Carry it out in clear weather immediately after the dew has dried.
In April-May, collect raw materials from all trees - fruit, fruit and berry and simple deciduous. The younger the leaves, the more tannins they will contain, which provide a pleasant, pronounced taste. The harvest time for bushes and berry leaves begins in early June and lasts until early July.

Important! In rainy weather, you should not collect raw materials for homemade tea. Foliage accumulates large number moisture and becomes too brittle after drying or deteriorates during fermentation.

Be sure to leave some of the leaves on the bush so that the plant can recover after harvest and bear fruit. Collect herbs throughout July as they begin to bloom. Even if you plan to prepare a tea mixture, collect the raw materials in separate bags or bags. Each plant needs separate processing.

How to dry

Drying in the open air will take from a week to two, depending on the raw materials. Before drying, you need to cut the cuttings from the leaves, as they degrade the quality of the raw material, and sort through the green mass, removing all damaged leaves. The drying room should be dry, warm and well ventilated.
Spread on flat surface sheets of blank paper. Newspaper will not work, as printing ink will highlight toxic substances. Smooth thin layer distribute the prepared leaves over it.

Stir the leaves every day, swap sheets so that the raw material dries evenly. Do not leave the leaves unattended for too long to avoid mold. To check if the product is ready, you need to bend several large leaves across the line of the central vein. If a distinct crunch is heard, the tea leaves can be stored.

Video: how to dry currant leaves for tea at home Another drying method involves using an oven. This method is suitable for those who do not have enough time or space to dry leaves. traditional way. Preheat the oven to +100°C.

Important! Avoid direct contact with the raw materials you are drying. sun rays. Under their influence, essential oils evaporate, the final product becomes tasteless and loses its rich color.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the leaves on it in a single layer. Leave the oven door a quarter ajar. Dry the leaves at this temperature for an hour and a half, and then reduce the temperature by half and dry them until tender (30-40 minutes). Please note that part useful substances is lost during such processing.

Fermentation

This method of preparing tea leaves improves the taste of tea. The juiciest and cleanest leaves are selected for it. Before fermentation, they should be cleaned of dust and small debris, but not rinsed with water, so as not to disturb the natural microflora.
Leaves collected at an early stage of maturity are better suited to fermentation and give the final product a richer flavor. Fermentation begins as soon as the green mass is rolled and leaf juice appears on the surface.

Did you know? Green and black tea are made from the same leaves. The difference in taste and appearance The quality of these teas is determined by various methods of processing the raw materials. To produce black tea, the raw materials are rolled and fermented, while green tea is simply withered and dried. Based on this, it can be argued that green tea- the drink is more natural and healthy, although many people like a more pronounced “black” taste.

The raw materials are pre-dried, twisted through a meat grinder or rolled by hand and placed tightly in a container. It can be an enamel pan or a bucket made of food grade plastic. Compact the green mass with clean hands until you get a layer 7-10 cm high.
Place a clean ceramic plate on top and press it down with pressure (a brick or a kilogram pack of cereal will do). Cover the container with a kitchen towel and leave the mixture to ferment for 6-8 hours at a temperature of +23-25 ​​°C. If the temperature is lower, fermentation will not start; if it is higher, the leaf mass will deteriorate.

The finished mass must be chopped using kitchen scissors, unless you passed it through a meat grinder before fermentation. Pre-shredded sheets will disintegrate into small lumps on their own. The fermented tea leaves should be spread in an even layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment and dried in the oven for one and a half hours at a temperature of +60 °C.

Video: Fermentation of currant leaf

Twisting

Before sending the leaves for fermentation, you need to destroy their structure and release the juices to the surface. Twisting in a meat grinder and twisting by hand are suitable for this. The second method will take more time, but the end result will be delicious loose leaf tea, not granular.

Important! If you don't have time to watch the wilting, spread the foliage in a thin layer on a towel and roll it up. Place a towel in enamel pan and put it in warm place. The raw materials folded in this way will wither in five to six hours instead of the usual twelve.

If you use a meat grinder, then install a large mesh on it, otherwise the granules will disintegrate into small particles when dried. If you plan to roll the leaves by hand, then take 7-10 leaves, folded into an even stack, and roll them firmly between your palms. You will get an even, dense roll. Treat the remaining leaves in the same way.

Withering

This preparatory stage, which allows you to remove excess moisture from the green mass. At this stage, chlorophyll begins to break down and the concentration increases. essential oils and tannins, which give the tea a rich taste. Spread a cotton sheet on a work surface kitchen towel, place the leaves on it overlapping and leave them to dry for 10-12 hours.

Did you know? Tea leaves, as well as the tradition of brewing tea, entered Europe along with other oriental goods through Portugal. It was this country on the edge of Europe that at one time paved the sea trade route to China and began to import strange varieties of this drink. Remarkably, the most “tea-drinking” country in Europe, England, had no idea how to handle tea leaves. When camellia leaves first came to the cooks of the royal family, they added them to the meat salad and served them to the royal table without a shadow of a doubt.

If the humidity outside is high, wilting may take up to a day. It’s easy to determine the readiness of the raw materials: fold one of the large leaves in half. If it crunches, then leave the mass to dry for some more time. If the body of the leaf is pliable, then you can proceed to the next stage of preparation.

Making tea from leaves

You can brew only one type of leaves, or you can make a tea mixture. Boil water in a kettle until bubbles appear, pour it into the teapot, add tea leaves at the rate of 1 tsp. leaves per 250 ml of water. Cover the teapot with a lid and leave to brew for 5-7 minutes. There is no need to dilute this infusion with water, but if the tea leaves are too strong, dilute it in a cup with warm water in a 1:1 ratio.

Recipes

There are many herbal and loose leaf teas, but there are recipes that are particularly popular among them.

Made from fireweed raw materials, it is also known as Koporye tea. Its unique taste properties are due to the long fermentation process (up to 48 hours) and the high juiciness of the raw materials.

Ingredients:

• Ivan tea leaves - 2 tsp;
• hot water - 0.5 l.

Preparation:

Pour the tea leaves into the teapot, pour boiling water over it and tightly close the teapot with the lid. Leave the tea leaves to steep for ten minutes. Strain through a strainer. This infusion can be drunk with dried fruits, homemade cakes and honey.

To make experimenting easier, start preparing mixtures of two or three flavors. Once you understand which leaves give the best flavor in a blend, move on to four- and five-way blends.

Important! Before rolling, the dried mass can be put in the refrigerator for an hour and a half, and then allowed to thaw. The mass processed in this way will release a lot of juice, and the fermentation process will be more intense.

Ingredients:

• mint leaves - 2 tsp;
• strawberry leaves - 0.5 tsp;
• raspberry leaves - 1 tsp;
• apple leaves - 1 tsp;
• hot water - 1 l.

Preparation:

Pour boiling water into the teapot. Add mint, leave covered for one minute. Add raspberry and apple leaves and keep covered for two minutes. Add strawberry leaves and brew for another two minutes. Strain the resulting infusion and dilute hot water in a 1:1 ratio before use.

From rosehip leaves

This tea tastes best when chilled. In addition, it is better to infuse it not with boiling water, but with hot water to preserve vitamin C and get maximum benefits.

Ingredients:

• rosehip leaves - 5 tsp;
• hot water - 1 l.

Preparation:

Pour the tea leaves into the teapot. Fill with hot water and leave covered for half an hour. Strain through a strainer, cool and serve with dried fruit.

Contraindications and harm

For all its benefits, loose leaf teas have a number of contraindications. Infusions with thyme, nettle and maple should be used with caution by nursing and pregnant women. People with a tendency to allergic reactions should beware of dogwood and rose hips.

Did you know? Right up d at the beginning of the 20th century, all tea was sold in tin cans. A lucky chance changed the situation. One American tea supplier named Sullivan began packing tea leaves into small silk bags to save on tin packaging. One of Sullivan’s clients accidentally dropped such a bag into a kettle of boiling water and saw that the tea was infused even through silk fabric. So, in 1903, a patent appeared for the use of tea bags.

Those who suffer from a weak stomach are not recommended to drink teas based on walnut, hazel and chokeberry too often. If you plan to drink tea from the leaves small child, consult your pediatrician so as not to harm your baby.

Storage

First of all, make sure that the storage container is minimally permeable to air. In relatively sealed packaging The brew will retain its properties longer. Porcelain and ceramic dishes with tight-fitting sealed lids, polypropylene bags with a string closure along the top edge are suitable for this purpose.

If you plan to store small portions of different brews, then put them in separate paper bags and seal them in a large airtight bag. The room in which you will store teas should be dry, warm (+18-20 °C) and dark. Once every three months, take out your supplies and ventilate them, pouring them into new bags.
Leaf tea garden plants- these are guaranteed high-quality products that you can prepare yourself. Select the plants from which you will collect raw materials, prepare the leaves in the early maturity phase, carefully sort them and dry or ferment them for better taste.

Store the brew in suitable conditions so that it retains maximum taste and benefits. Drink a cup of healthy homemade tea every day and then you will stay healthy even in winter period hypovitaminosis.

For drying you should take fresh leaves. Take whole and strong leaves without holes or cuts. You should not cut off leaves with traces of moisture from watering, dew or rain, because during the drying process they form brown spots. Due to their botanical characteristics, not all leaves and plants are suitable for drying. Some retain their natural color after drying, while others acquire brown and quickly deteriorate. If you want to paste a dried sheet into a herbarium so that it retains its color for as long as possible, then it should be attached to the paper with thick transparent tape. The tape should cover the entire surface of the sheet and create a vacuum space together with the paper that will not allow air to pass through. It is the vacuum that helps preserve color.

The faster you start drying a freshly picked plant, the greater the chance that it will retain its natural color longer. The longest lasting flowers are acacia, wild grapes, jasmine, maple and yarrow. Dried plants burn out from direct sunlight. If you later make a painting or some kind of crafts from the leaves, make sure that they do not remain in sunlight for long.

To dry a plant under a book press, take a sheet of filter paper the size of and fold it in half. On the first half, place a layer of special surgical cotton wool, which you can buy at the pharmacy, and gauze on top of it. Straighten the sheet, place it on gauze and press with a press of 8-10 thick books. It is best to take dictionaries and encyclopedias. After a few days, the leaves can be ironed so that they become more beautiful shape. The iron must be placed on average temperature, and place the plant between two layers of newspaper and gently iron it. Then open the newspaper, let the moisture come out of the sheet and iron it again. Repeat this procedure several times and the leaf will take on a very dried out appearance, as if it had been lying around for many years.

You can dry the leaves so that only veins remain. This method of drying is called "skeletonization" from the word skeleton.

Will need household chemicals, such as bleach or bathroom cleaner. Take a bowl, pour liquid into it and wait for it to eat through the space between the veins of the leaf. To do this you need to use the worst and cheapest means. The bleach should be chlorine, about the same as what you use to boil jeans.

You can boil the leaves with soda. Place a few leaves in a pan and fill with water. After cooking, carefully remove the remaining soda with a toothbrush, rinse the skeleton and put it under a press to dry until it becomes even. For half a liter of water you need two tablespoons of soda; the mixture should be boiled for half an hour to an hour. This is the best way to clean maple leaves.

Tea is rightfully considered the most popular drink in the world. Many people have heard about ceremonies held in ancient times. When choosing a product, consumers are faced with prohibitively high prices for high-quality raw materials. The thought of brewing a drink from existing plants involuntarily comes to mind. In order not to doubt the quality of the chosen tea, you can prepare it yourself from currant leaves. Let's look at the basic aspects in order and provide practical advice.

Benefits of currant leaves

1. The raw material contains a large amount of oil esters, ascorbic acid and phytoncides. It also contains micro- and macroelements that have a beneficial effect on the immune system.
2. With regular consumption of currant tea, a person gets sick less and feels cheerful. His “fighting spirit” rises, insomnia disappears, psycho-emotional background is stabilizing.
3. Currant leaves prevent the development of benign and malignant tumors. If you drink tea at least 100 ml. per day, blood glucose levels normalize. The latter aspect helps people with diabetes to lead full life activities.

Time to collect currant leaves

1. Start collecting raw materials only after the leaves have completely bloomed. Do not rush to pick off wet specimens; it is preferable to carry out the procedure after the bush has dried. Collect raw materials in the morning before the scorching sun comes out.
2. If you are using leaves as healthy tea, it is worth considering that best time collection is carried out between May and June. At this time, the bush has not yet begun to bloom, the leaves remain juicy and young.
3. If for some reason the collection was not successful at the appointed time, the procedure can be rescheduled. Pluck richly green leaves, they contain slightly less vitamins (about 10%). In any case, the aroma and taste will not lose their richness.

Method number 1. Drying leaves naturally

1. Having familiarized yourself with the rules for collecting tea leaves, you can consider that half the journey has been completed. Now it is necessary to prepare the raw materials for further use.
2. Choose a place for drying that meets three main criteria - dry air, lack of direct ultraviolet radiation, and warmth. After choosing a location, begin laying out the raw materials.
3. Choose a substrate on which the berry leaves will lie. Will do polyethylene film, gauze cloth or album sheets. Do not use newspapers to prevent ink from imprinting on the leaves.
4. Lay out the raw materials in one row, ensuring uniform drying. Leave until completely dry, periodically checking the leaves for rotting. Eliminate damaged specimens and change the substrate immediately.
5. To assess the readiness of tea leaves, just take one of them and check for fragility. If the product breaks immediately, drying is complete.
6. Select for storage plastic container or glass jar. Make sure container and lid are dry. Even a small drop of liquid will trigger the development of mold. Place the leaves in a container, seal, and keep in a dark place.

Method No. 2. Drying leaves in the oven

1. Sort through the leaves, eliminating rotten specimens. Take a baking tray and line it parchment paper for baking. Arrange the raw materials in one row so that the leaves do not touch each other.
2. Turn on the oven to 100 degrees, preheat for a quarter of an hour. After this, reduce the power to 80 degrees and place the baking sheet inside.
3. Dry the leaves for about 30 minutes, periodically checking them for readiness. After half an hour, open the door slightly to allow steam to escape.
4. The structure will tell you about the readiness of currant leaves. The raw material must become brittle. Take the leaf in your hand and try to break it.
5. Some housewives prefer to chop currant leaves in a blender or coffee grinder. You can do the same, it all depends on personal preference.
6. Next, collect the composition in a dry jar or container and store it in a dark place for long-term storage. It is advisable to keep the product away from sunlight and household appliances.

Method number 3. Drying leaves by fermentation

1. First you need to collect the leaves at the “right” time. After this, transfer the raw materials to clean paper or gauze cloth, leave for 20 hours in a cool and dark room.
2. In progress preliminary preparation Stir the leaves constantly. After the specified period, take 7-10 leaves. Start twisting them until the liquid comes out.
3. Pick up glassware, place the prepared tea rolls in it. Cover the top with a damp cotton cloth. Leave the workpiece in a warm room.
4. Don't forget to check the leaves. You also need to constantly wet the fabric once it dries. The delicious aroma of currants will tell you that the composition is ready.
5. Now you need to chop the leaves. To do this, chop them with scissors or break them with your hands. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the raw materials on top. Preheat the oven to 90 degrees, send the leaves to dry.
6. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour. Periodically check the raw materials for readiness. When the leaves are dry, cool them and place them in an airtight glass jar. Store in the dark and dry.

Currant tea: recipe

• drinking water - 475 ml.
• honey - quantity at your discretion
• currant leaves - 25 gr.

1. Rinse the clay or porcelain teapot and scald it with boiling water. Add the leaves, add boiled hot water, and cover the kettle with a lid.
2. Place a terry towel on top to keep the heat in. Infuse the tea for a third of an hour, then use finished product as tea leaves.
3. Use sweeteners (sugar or honey) based on personal preference. If desired, you can prepare tea leaves from currant and raspberry leaves at the same time.

The use of currant leaves in cosmetology

1. Lotion. Prepare a decoction of 1 handful of dried raw materials and 1.2 liters. boiling water Let the mixture sit for 3-5 hours, then pass the mixture through a filter made of gauze and cotton wool. Soak a cosmetic sponge in the infusion, wipe your face 2 times a day, or use the decoction when washing your face.
2. Mask. Grind 35-45 gr. dried leaves in a coffee grinder or blender to obtain a powder. Dilute the mixture with hot water to form a paste. Distribute the product over the entire face area, paying due attention to the T-zone, chin, and forehead. Leave the mask until completely dry, then rinse off warm water and apply cream.

It is not difficult to dry currant leaves for tea if you have the knowledge and follow clear instructions. Carry out the procedure through fermentation, consider options for preparing raw materials in the oven and naturally. Make tea from the leaves, which boosts immunity and prevents insomnia. Make a mask or lotion to experience all the delights of currant leaves.

Video: preparing tea from blackcurrant leaves

Dried leaves, flowers and herbs can be used to create unique paintings - both exquisitely complex and completely simple, which even small children can make. There are several techniques for making paintings, and perhaps you yourself will come up with something new.

Collect and dry beautiful plants and enjoy creativity with your children, develop imagination, neatness and a sense of beauty.

Collect leaves, flowers and herbs for future paintings it is possible from spring to autumn.

Dry They are better in old heavy reference books or magazines. Thick plant stems do not dry well, so it is recommended to cut them in half lengthwise. Leave the plant in the book for 10-14 days.

Glue take it thick enough so that drops do not form.

If according to your intention colorful but transparent petals must be superimposed on a dark background and retain their original color, then first you need stick them on thin white paper , cut along the contour, and then include it in the composition.

So, on a fine autumn day you went out to the park or forest and collected a large collection of beautiful bright leaves and plants.

Applications can be made as from freshly picked leaves and dried. If you want to preserve the leaves, two drying methods can be recommended.

The first, well-known, method - putting leaves between the pages of an old unnecessary book. It is better to lay each leaf on both sides with a paper napkin.

The second method is express drying of leaves using an iron. Just remember that the leaves are not sterile, so it’s better to iron them on a surface that you don’t mind throwing away later, for example, on large sheets paper. Before ironing, you also need to place a sheet of newsprint or paper napkin. And now more details.

Powder drying

This method of drying flowers and leaves is not quick or easy. It will require bulk substances with hygroscopic properties: sifted river sand, semolina or corn grits, salt or crushed chalk.

Powder drying also has its advantage: it completely preserves the shape and vibrant color of plants or inflorescences.

Heat the sand in a frying pan so that no moisture remains and let it cool. Pour 2 cm of sand into cardboard box and place flowers on it.

Gently sprinkle sand on top until the plants are completely covered.

After two to three weeks, you need to make holes in the bottom of the box so that the sand can spill out.

Shake the dried flowers slightly to remove any remaining sand.

These flowers can be used for volumetric paintings or making floral arrangements.

Drying fast-withering plants

There are also plants that wither faster than they can dry (hydrangea, bulbous plants, heather, chicory). They require air drying and immersion of the stems in water.

Cut the lower part of the stem at an angle of 45 degrees and place it in a vessel with water to a height of 7.5 cm.

Drying plants using a hot method (express drying)

Hot drying, that is, iron drying ideal option when to dry the leaves for the herbarium for tomorrow. Also, hot drying can preserve the original color of cornflowers.

Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth or cotton pad to remove dirt and dust. There is no need to wet or rub too much so as not to damage the fragile surface.

Cover ironing board clean paper and place the leaves on it.

If you use newspapers, be careful, as printing ink can print on both the leaves and the surface of the ironing board.

Cover the top with another sheet of paper.

Switch the iron to minimum temperature and check that there is no water in it. If your iron does not have very high power, then you can set the temperature closer to average, but not maximum, because an iron that is too hot will ruin the leaves.

Iron the leaves several times, then remove the paper and turn them over to the other side. Cover with paper again and iron.

Repeat the procedure until the leaves are completely dry.

Drying plants for garlands and crafts

Leaves and flowers that you want to use not for herbariums and paintings, but to create garlands or other crafts, need to be dried without a press.

To dry, place the plants on paper and straighten them carefully.

Tie the flowers in bunches and hang them with the inflorescences down. The room should have good air circulation and relative dryness

Drying plants and leaves under pressure

Drying leaves under a press is the most famous and simplest method.

Leaves and flowers are simply transferred with sheets of paper or paper towels on both sides and placed under a press, or in books and magazines.

The paper must be changed every day to remove absorbed moisture.

Flowers and leaves will be ready to use after a week.

If the workpieces have become too brittle, dip them in a solution of water and PVA glue (4 parts water to 1 part glue), and then dry.

Leaves dried and processed in this way are ideal exhibits for a herbarium.

Drying plants on a wire rack

Some plants can be dried horizontally on a wire rack (for example, ivy). Some are best not turned upside down (physalis).

Drying flowers in the oven

Single large flowers whose petals are rich in liquid, such as roses or tulips, can be dried in the oven at low temperature.

Watch the process carefully: the flowers should not turn brown.

Before you start work, cover the table with oilcloth so as not to stain it with glue. Prepare the base - a sheet of cardboard, collected or dried leaves, scissors, glue (preferably PVA), tweezers.

First you need come up with a future picture . Then arrange it on a separate sheet. And only then start gluing the individual leaf parts to the base. It is best to apply the glue in droplets along the edges. If you apply glue to the entire surface of the sheet, it may warp when drying the application.

Need a finished picture put under a press for one or two days. Don't forget to do it for her frame!

Types of applications

Overlay applique.

Try to start by coming up with pictures that do not require cutting out any details from the leaves, but are created by overlaying the leaves. You can come up with a lot of such pictures: butterflies, mushrooms, chickens and other birds... The missing elements can be drawn in with a felt-tip pen or made from other natural materials.

Having gotten the hang of simple pictures, children can begin to come up with multi-tiered images. In this technique, leaves are glued on top of each other in layers. The application will turn out bright and cheerful if the leaves are different in color.

Silhouette applique.

In this type of appliqué, excess parts of the leaf are cut off so that the result is exactly what the little artist intended.

Modular application (mosaic).

Using this technique, a picture is created by gluing many leaves of the same or similar shape and size (or, for example, maple seeds). This way you can make the scales of a fish, the tail of a cockerel or a firebird.

Symmetrical applique.

It is used to create individual images or entire paintings with a symmetrical structure, as well as to obtain two completely identical images (for example, reflection in water). To do this, you need to select similar leaves to get an image with its “reflection” or symmetrical in itself (“Butterfly”, “Dragonfly”, “Landscape with a lake”, “Boat on the river”).

Ribbon applique.

A type of symmetrical appliqué. Its difference is that it allows you to get not one or two, but many identical images - ornaments. You get a whole “round dance” of trees, flowers, mushrooms, butterflies, etc.

We are considering various ways drying flowers: air, flat and volume drying, as well as quick methods(microwave, iron). We tell you how to properly dry flowers to preserve the color and shape of the petals.

Methods for drying plants and their flowers and leaves

Among flower connoisseurs and creators of crafts, jewelry or herbariums, time-tested methods are used.

To dry flowers or leaves effectively use the following methods: air, books and presses, materials with high ability moisture absorption, microwave and iron. As well as “preservation” in glycerin and paraffin.

Air drying + without hanging + in a vase with water

A very popular method, indispensable for large flowers and plants. Main advantages: lightness and simplicity.

For drying, you need a dark (without direct sunlight), dry and not too warm room with excellent ventilation (pantry, attic, garage, attic). Depending on the type and size of the plant, the drying process lasts different quantities time.

Flowers

1. Cut flowering species as soon as the flowers open. Remove the bottom pair of leaves, or all of the leaves if you only want the flower itself.
2. Tie the plants at the base of the stem, 5-10 pieces in a bunch. It is better to wrap every 2-3 stems, and at the end the whole bouquet rubber band(tourniquet, twine) so that the flowers do not fall apart after drying. Avoid excessive tension to prevent moisture from accumulating in the dressing areas.
3. Hang the bunches with flowers, spikelets down, on a stretched rope (twine, wire, fishing line), no closer than 15 cm to the ceiling, with a 10-15 cm gap between each other, on hooks, paper clips, or secure with a clothespin. In a bunch, the leaves should be well ventilated, and the flowers should not touch each other.
4. Leave the flowers hanging for 15-30 days, and if the petals are thick and dense or not optimal conditions, then by 35-40. When the flowers dry, the petals will be hard and fragile to the touch.

Cereals

Harvest a couple of days before flowering or after the spikelets turn a light straw color. After harvesting, trim the tips of the stems so that they are at the same level, and the tops of the spikelets, on the contrary, are at the same level. different heights. Further actions are similar.

Rules and tips

• It is better to link different types separately.
• It is better to dry large flowers one at a time (hydrangea, peony, rose (thorns must be removed), lilac).

What flowers can be dried?

The air method is easy to dry ornamental grasses or spikelets of cereal species (rye, wheat, barley, etc.), as well as medicinal or useful species(St. John's wort, mint, thyme, sage, etc.).

We wish you successful drying of flowers and plants, and long pleasant memories!