The roses and hibiscus (whole flower and leaves) were still alive and fresh when I started the process. I did not wait for them to die.
A neighbor gave me the hibiscus flowers from her garden and didn't have any extra sprays, etc. on them; the roses came from the florist . . . who knows what was sprayed on them.
I rinsed them well with cold water and let them sit out to air dry overnight. When they were air-dry I froze them (whole). When I was ready to use them I defrosted them and proceeded to grind them.
Come to think about it, the flowers were never dried. I guess they were more like fresh-frozen. They did not loose their color and the petals were still soft
I used the rose petals in my Pomegranate Rose Soap . . . which isn't ready yet.
