Plants like caraway, dill, and fennel are best when picked while ripe and fragrant and before they fall to the ground. When the pods develop, tie paper or cheesecloth bags to the stem and let the seeds ripen and catch them as they fall. Another method is to cut the plant while still green, tying no more than eight stems together, and place them upside down in a paper bag to dry. This is a very effective method, but be sure you lable all your bags. Yet another way to do it is the gather only the pods ans string them over a cheesecloth net. Be sure you keep your seeds in a well-aired place for best results regardless of what method you choose.
ROOTS
Roots (comfrey for example) are at their best when you pull the whole plant out of the ground in late autumn. Be sure to wash the roots carefully, and break them up into small pieces. Dry them on flat screens. Be sure you have them spread out and don't forget to turn them once or twice a week so they dry evenly. Once dry, they can be ground in a coffee filter or nice blender and used any time.
BARKS
Barks should be gathered during late autumn or early spring and torn off in vertical strips. Hanging them on a clothes line is a good way of drying, rain can be a problem (ecspecially at these times of the year). Alternatively, you can use a dry spot in your home and hang them in the same manner. When the barks are dry, grind them as if they were roots.
FLOWERS
It is best to pick flowers early in the morning, before the sun gets very hot. Half open blooms are perfect as they hold together better, while fully opened blooms seem to loose petals easily. Flowers can be placed on screans to dry, or buy a fairly large amount of cheesecloth and hang it around 1 foot from the ceiling in a well ventailated room. Once you have your cheesecloth hung, lay the flowers inside the middle like a hammock. An advantage to the aformentioned method is that as the flowers dry out and the breeze flows through the room, the room is filled with their aroma. Another way of drying flowers is to take some well-cleaned, white, fine sand and pour it in a stone flower pot. Then gather your flowers and set them carefully in the sand and fully cover them. Once the flowers are covered, place the pot in the sun or a room with a fire until the flowers have dried out. Be very careful removing them, dry flowers are very fragile. These flowers can be dusted with a feater to remove any remaining bits of sand. Common timing for this technique is about a week, but the time varies depending on the plant. It is probably a good idea to leave one "sample" flower near the surface to check every so often.
HERBS
When you are harvesting herbs for drying purposes, cut the stalk about half way from the top of the plant. Clean off all the dirt and mold with a soft toothbrush. You can place the herbs on a baking sheet in a warm oven for quick drying, but be sure to stir frequently. It is also possiable to dry herbs in the microwave. To dry herbs in the microwave, place the herbs between a layer of paper towels, set the microwave for 3 minutes, and stop every 30 seconds to turn them. If you hang-dry your herbs, and you find dust to be a problem, you can cover them with a paper bag open-end down. Coriander, parsley, and rosemary can be dried in the refrigerator by placing them in a sealed paper bag and waiting 30 days. With the process, the herbs are allowed to dry but still retain its colour and shape. This is the best way to dry herbs for use in a herb wreath.
After your herbs and plants are dried, be sure to keep them in a cool place so they don't lose any flavour or fragrance.