© Janet Davis

Each year, as May comes to an end and I prepare to plant geraniums, verbenas and other summer annuals in my pots, I am heartbroken to have to uproot dozens of lustily-blooming pansies and violas that have just hit their stride in the warm, sunny days and cool nights of mid-spring.

Never mind that they’ll be lanky and straggly by summer, if I leave them in their pots. (Pansies dislike intense heat.) And never mind that I bought them in early April for just a few dollars, and they’ve surely given me my money’s worth.

No, as I gaze down at their little faces, it seems that each is saying: “Please, not me. Don’t pick me. Don’t throw me away.”

So, if you really love your pansies and violas and hate the thought of tossing them onto the compost heap when it’s time to plant other annuals, consider drying them and using them later to decorate notepaper, candles or even indoor pots. It’s easy to do, even without flower-pressing gadgets.

All it takes is some paper toweling, a stack of heavy books, some podge glue or paraffin wax – and a little patience.

How to Dry Pansies

1. Start by picking the pansies you want to keep. Work early in the morning, selecting only the best blossoms. Pinch off the stem just underneath the petals so the pansy will lie flat.

2. Lay a section of paper towel on an open page in a thick book with relatively large pages. Place the pansies on the towel until you have it filled, being careful not to let the flowers touch. Top with another paper towel and close the book carefully to seal the flowers in the toweling. You can repeat this in sections throughout the book. Place the book(s) under a few other books to weigh down the flower packets.

3. Place the books in a dry, warm place.

4. Wait 3-6 weeks, checking occasionally to see if the pansies have dried.

5. When they’re dry and ready to use, you can now gently lift them from the toweling, being careful not to tear the petals, which will be very delicate. Remove only as many pansies as you’re ready to work with.

Creative Ideas for Your Dried Pansies

You can use the dried pansies in the same way you’d use any dried flowers.

My favorite application is to use paraffin wax to “glue” the pansies to candles. You can use votive candles or tall pillar candles, and affix the flowers in any design you like.

1. Melt the paraffin over low heat.

2. Using an inexpensive paint brush, put a few little dabs of the wax on the candle where you want to place the flower, then carefully press the pansy it into the warm wax. Alternatively, you can heat a spoon over a candle flame and press that onto the candle to warm it before pressing the pansy on.

3 Now you can cover the flower with wax, brushing it on carefully and making sure each flower is covered, but not too thickly. The wax preserves the flower colors.

Another idea is to use podge glue (a craft glue that looks milky-white but dries clear) to attach the pansies to note cards. Again, put a few dabs of the glue on the notepaper or card where you want to position the flower, then carefully press it onto the paper. Using the brush, apply the glue over the entire flower. It will dry to a nice sheen and keep the flower color bright for a long time. A little packet of these note cards makes a lovely gift to give to another gardener.

I’ve also used podge glue to glue the pansies onto small clay pots. You can’t actually grow a plant in the pot because the water seeping through the pot wall will damage the dried pansy, but you can add an inner plastic liner or pot with living pansies and – voila! – a perfect table centerpiece.

Use the same ideas with any of your favorite garden flowers that will dry well, i.e. those with a relatively flat face, such as forget-me-nots. Leaves can also be dried and used this way.

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