Found a brilliant idea on the net today...micro-waving flowers...it works incredibly well. When I've pressed flowers before it takes ages and oodles of kitchen towel and every heavy book in the house and even then some flowers lose their colour or a petal is sort of squashed up...
But you just put a single layer of pansies, or in my case it was violets and primroses...flatten them out a bit, cover with a sheet of kitchen towel and a plate on top, then give them two minutes on medium...result is totally dry flowers with their original bright colours.
Now I'll have a practically instant source of decoration for making greeting cards and pictures...though I've noticed not many people expect to receive a birthday card through the post anymore...it seems to not matter much, so long as they get a message on Facebook.
Not quite the same though.
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Hi Vashti, I keep saying I'll get a microwave then I forget. Nuking flowers could be seen as abuse to flowers by some,, especially without permission, but it seems like a quick way of getting results! I was on faceache ( I know lol! ) for about a year and although there were some good things there I decided I would have less time on my hands and it just seems so invasive of your privacy, people want to photograph and show everyone what they've eaten or it's people wanting game partners for Bubblewitch or jellybean games or something and you're so right about the Birthday greetings and such like.... it's a bit of a cop out, I like the idea of making pictures with real flowers, I wonder what a Clematis would or Geum would be like nuked.
It's nice to receive a card in the post and a handmade one with real flowers would be something special!huff xxx
I have never thought to microwave flowers, lovely idea! perfect for your cards and for those making soap as gifts. I have done my herbs this way for years, some, like dill and mint, look awful when frozen, but in the microwave, chopped finely, keep their true colours and when totally dry can be stored in little jars.
Excellent tip, I'm going to give it a try later with some very pretty viola. I'll give them to the grandaughters to make cards for mummy who's in hospital waiting the birth of their little sister. X
How right you are Vashti. I personally, wouldn't give you a "Thank you" for greetings on something like "Faceache", but I'm not on it anyway - so no matter! lol
You cannot beat something that has been made especially for you. I still have every card etc., that my children made for me - even before they could even write properly and later when they were at school, and I treasure each one. XX
Great tip Vashti, my second this week! Has everyone heard of the tomtato, and it's just me wallowing in ignorance? My lovely garden man told me about it yesterday; it's grown in a container and produces toms above ground (cherry ones) and pots below. I might just give it a try for fun, can be grown inside or out.
Both members of the nightshade family - apparently on sale in Wyevale so have been well-tested. I think a d.i.y venture could prove a bit iffy so I won't be trying that - life is still sweet!
Ordinary potatoes will grow fruit like green tomatoes but which are poisonous. A couple of years ago we had a cracked drain pipe at the bottom of the garden, raw poo everywhere, gruesome. Lots of digging to find the crack and replace that part of the sewage drain. The next summer the area which had never had spuds planted all the time we had been there (about 12 years at that point) sprouted potato plants with the said green tomato like fruits. Spooky, we pulled up all the plants.
This is apparently the outcome of years of experimentation and grafting - personally I think the time could have been better spent, but what do I know? If Wyevale have them on sale I would think they must be safe, but I have reservations.
Wonderful find Vashti. Thanks for sharing it with us! Everyone I know, friends & family and even neighbours all get and give birthday, Christmas, Easter, etc. cards and I don't know of anyone yet who just wants an e-card, so don't despair, hand-given cards will never die! xxxx stillmovin1
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