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Queen Anne's Lace

Purplemartin
22 years ago

Queen Anne's Lace can be colored by putting the freshly cut stems into water colored with food coloring (make it strong). The flower will soak up the color. I don't know about drying them like this...don't know if they would hold the color or not, but they are beautiful in fresh arrangements.

Comments (24)

  • loveplants
    22 years ago

    How do you grow Queens Anne's Lace...have seeds

  • Regale
    21 years ago

    Loveplants, they are wild flowers here. I don't know if anyone plants them.

  • Posie
    21 years ago

    I plant them as I love to use them in flower arrangements.They do grow wild here but you always need to go look for them. Seed is available from different catalogs. I do believe they are biennal and look like a carrot plant when they are growing. Have fun!

  • hprobert75
    21 years ago

    just read your posts about queen anne's lace. very interesting! can hardly wait to try coloring them! I just love this flower. I can never plant enough of it or find enough seeds. have a nice day!

  • tnladyhillbilly
    21 years ago

    Posie, there is a reason they look like carrots, they are carrots lol. QA is a wild carrot. If you pull up the whole plant you will see a tiny carrot as the root, they are edible but not very paletable.

  • bisybee
    21 years ago

    I press the Queen Anne's Lace, and then spray some of them with floral paint. This makes them nice to break up and fill in with floral cards, etc.

    I also tried spraying them before pressing and it worked fine.

    Esther

  • weedlady
    21 years ago

    I have dried the flowers both by pressing and in silica gel. They are very fragile, whichever way one uses, but soooo lovely! I had dried some really tiny QAL flowers and used them on a tabletop Christmas tree. They looked like snowflakes! CK

  • Dill_Pickle
    21 years ago

    If anyone wants seed I can send you some. Email me and we'll get together about it.

  • LindaDeNeve
    21 years ago

    There is a giant variety of this, and I have yet to find the seeds for it. I saw it at a private perennial farm and the lady wouldn't share seed or a start. It was up to my chin and I am 5'6". One place where it grows wild here (Indiana) it grows way over my head and the flower heads are a good 7-8 inches across. That field was low but dry and had a high clay content. Unfortunately, before I could dug some up, someone planted a condo on top of it.

  • weedlady
    21 years ago

    QAL seed is available from suppliers of wildflowers. Try CyndiÂs Catalog of Catalogs website for a list. There is, however, a cultivated annual flower that is nearly identical to Queen AnneÂs lace that I have seen sold by florists. Often it is also called QAL, but is less confusingly referred to as bishopÂs flower. It's often referred to as bishop's weed, too, but that also is the common name of the horrible invasive groundcover aegepodium, or goutweed. This would be a good choice for gardeners who may be concerned about QALÂs propensity to quickly escape and naturalize as a problematic weed. It is available from a good number of seed catalogs. Definitely wants full sun, and best sown right where you want it to grow as it does not like to be transplanted, though I have done so with some success.
    GardenwebÂs Hortiplex database gives info about it. (Follow the links given there.) See: http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/p1/gw1001611.html
    Also, the link I am supplying below gives a good bit of info about the plant.
    (BTW, this is a great plant for flower pounding, both flowers and foliage are lovely.)CK

    Here is a link that might be useful: Description of Ammi majus

  • SunflowerBren
    21 years ago

    Here in Texas it grows on the side of the road as it is a Wildflower. I have it also growing in my garden, it makes wonderful flower arrangements. I have never put it in colored water before but I am going to try it out. Thanks, Bren

    Here is a link that might be useful: my garden webpage

  • butterflydiva
    20 years ago

    sounds really fun! i'd like to try growing it now, just for that purpose LOL
    Keiko your work is awesome!! i especially love the sunflower arrangement, it's stunning! what is the black grass used in that picture?

  • daisiensam
    20 years ago

    weedlady, exactly what is flower pounding. I dug up a clump of wild queen annes lace and it has travelled through my yard and into two of my neighbours. very invasive. I have never heard of flower pounding so could you please clue me in. thanks

  • sunhat
    20 years ago

    Yup, what is flower pounding?

    I wonder if you could use other colors for AQ Lace - eg, inks, art paints, ... (I don't use food coloring for food, so I dont have any handy).

    Another question : If you PRESS QA Lace, won't the stalk get flattened out and stay right next to the flower (instead of being at a right angle to it)? So once you press it, how would it work to use it in dried flower arrangements? Or does anyone have a picture of how pressed QALace looks in an arrangement?

  • rainbowraven
    20 years ago

    I just told my Mom about dying the Queen Annes Lace and she was so amazed by it :) pretty neat stuff when I can put a "one up" in gardening to my Mom!!

  • sunhat
    20 years ago

    Daisiensam, I did a google search on "What is flower pounding" and found quite a bit of information. I preferred the link below, as they give you the basic version without trying to sell you soem "specially treated fabric" (apparantly no special treatment is necessary). Sounds interesting, I'd like to try it out

    Here is a link that might be useful: Flower pounding

  • enchantedplace
    20 years ago

    My method for drying Queen Anne's lace: Cut flowers with several inches of stem intact when they are in full bloom.
    Cover bottom of a leak proof vessel with about an inch of Borax powder (found at market as a laundry product). Place a paper towel over the borax. Place flower, facing downward on paper towel. Bring up corners of paper towel around the flower. Apply more borax over the paper towel covered flower until the stem is supported. Repeat procedure all around edge of vessel with as many flowers as vessel will accomodate. Leave alone in a warm dry area until stems have thoroughly dried. Carefully lift dried flowers out of the borax. Brush off any borax clinging to the flower. Flowers may be lightly sprayed with cheap hair spray. These are beautiful in dried arrangements. This procedure may be used for delicate flowers which have a flat structure. Rose of Sharon dried with this method has appearance and texture of tissue paper. Echinacia will shrink in size and become darker in color. Zinnias will retain form and become darker in color.

  • franik
    20 years ago

    I neeed more info about how to dye Queen Anne's Lace for my grandkids. Also I know a lady who has Queen Anne's Lace Seed (With really giant flower-head variety)to sell or trade at http://pages.prodigy.net/nellrose/walindex.htm
    Her trade list is on the last page of the above URL.
    Frank

    Here is a link that might be useful: Seeds For Thee

  • gourdy1
    20 years ago

    When I was in 6th grade I wrote a poem about Queen Anne's Lace as it was my favorite flower.

    Once I took a walk in the meadow green,
    In the high unmowed grass I saw a Queen.
    This Queen had such a pretty face
    From top to bottom she was covered in lace
    She was all frilly from top to toe
    Swaying in the breeze
    Going to and fro,
    Such a pretty flower
    In a tall vase
    This flowers name
    Was Queens Lace.

  • Alda
    20 years ago

    Have noticed plenty of Queen Anne's Lace seedlings coming up in my Fall seed flats. Daucus carota. May become invasive if you are not careful. True wildflower that will self sow. Nice in bouquets. If anyne wants any, send post paid packing. I believe they should ship very well. Will send back on a Monday With best wishes, Alda Stich 369 North Ridge Montville, Freedom, Maine 04941

  • agbluebird_gmail_com
    12 years ago

    My 6 (almost 7) year old granddaugther, Jordan, and I picked QAL this week and dyed it in food-coloring water. It took almost 24 hours for it to change, but we made her mother a bouquet, and it is very beautiful. I remember doing this as a Bible School craft years ago, and the children were always amazed. It is quite prolific growing wild in Piedmont NC at this time. Grandmommy Ann

  • aggiegrad
    12 years ago

    I've never done this, but I remember my aunt used to go out & spray her queen anne's lace with whatever color of spray paint she had at hand. then when the flowers dried from the paint she would bring them in & make dried wildflower bouquets out of them. she usually used driftwood pieces to glue them to. I remember that they were the prettiest things I had ever seen. I haven't seen these in years as she passed away 20 years ago). never heard of using food coloring, though. I might try that next year, with the queen anne's lace that I can't seem to get rid of in my yard.

  • HU-428511288
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I want to dry the Queen Ann’s Lace and frame it on velvet material.. I don’t want to color

    the flower but want to remain as white as possible. Thank you for your help.

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