I think you have already figured it out but would add that silica gel is a Desiccant. I like people who want to experiment and I don't want to discourage them. In this case keep it and try this University of Missouri Extension Service site onDrying flowers using desiccants

As I mentioned above, I only know of one approved sweet preserve that calls for gelatin and is canned. It's comparing apples and oranges to think of gelatin in a refrigerated preserve (which was the original recommendation in your recipe - a Ball recipe, by the way) as opposed to canning something like venison, which as Linda Lou points out, requires a pressure canner. That's a world away from 10-minute boiling water bath. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Canned Fig-Strawberry Preserves with Gelatin

I live close to Disneyworld and the Polynesian resort has a lot of Plumeria trees on the property. Well my roommate has an obsession with them and has gotten me quite obsessed myself. I picked a few blooms and took them home but I forgot to take them out of my truck, leaving them on my dashboard. They stayed in my truck for about a day in the sun and the next morning for work I noticed they had shriveled up and dried out. They shrunk in size but their color and fragrance were preserved. This is the best way I found to preserve the blooms. I've tried pressing them but in doing that it tends to make the petals paper thin and they turned a bit brown as well. I've taken to drying them in the car with natural heat works best and I've now got quite enough to use as homemade potpourri. Hope this is helpful for you. They look awesome and definitely bring a nice touch to my home decor. And it's been pretty fun for my nieces to do when they come to visit

Actually, lazy as I am, I have several dried arrangements purely by accident. And, yes, others that I just hung upside down in a dry place. Worked for me. At least with roses, gerbera daisies, carnations, etc. I think it won't work for the tulips and blue flower in your arrangement.