Garden log 5/23/24. So, drying peonies in dessicant turned out pretty successful. It’s not exactly like a fresh peony — in the first two photos below, the bottom left flower is fresh, the rest are desiccated. But overall, happy with the results, and feel like it’s something I can work with.
I like the air-dried ones less — they’re not done drying yet, but you can see how they’re a lot more shriveled than the desiccated ones. Could still use them and make something pretty, I think, but I much prefer the desiccated versions.
Of course, air is free, and desiccant isn’t, so if you’re drying flowers, factor that in. Desiccant can be re-used over and over, though — if it gets too hydrated, you just dry it in a warm oven. The color-changing desiccant tells you when it’s getting too wet to use — very handy!
