What does a seasonally driven florist do during the Winter? The long nights cause the growth of blooms to more or less stop but that doesn’t mean we can’t create. So what’s the solution? Beautifully preserved dried flowers.
You must be wondering how dried flowers can compare to their lively counterparts? Just like drying herbs to give them a deeper spice and fragrance, drying flowers enriches their colour and preserves their petals into sculpture like silhouettes.
By capturing the fleeting moments of each season, we have a store of beautiful florals to design into everlasting installations throughout the Winter.
Should dried flowers be limited to the colder months? Absolutely not! They are an important resource to bridge the gap between seasons of growth, they can also be used to create moments of permanency in an ever changing environment.
Home Installations. Wedding Flowers. Brand Launches. Shop Styling. Floral Decorations.
I enjoy working closely with my clients to design bespoke installations to adorn their spaces. Can dried flowers be transformed into large scale feature designs? Yes! One of my favourite creations are clouds of dried florals that can be suspended above tables and entrances. There is something mesmerising about being able to walk under a cloud of colourful dried flowers and wonder how it came to be.
Dried florals are not limited to clouds. My journey has led me to creating colourful garlands, mirror dressings, fireplace installations, tablescapes and even a 12ft Christmas Tree entirely from dried!
Don’t dried flowers fade over time? Not if you pick the right varieties for the design. Certain flower varieties are grown the hold their shape and colour and these make for a great base to any design. What excites me is finding beauty in the unexpected. Watching the seasons and experimenting with a variety of my favourite blooms, it is a delight to discover what flowers can have their colours preserved and what shapes they transform into.
Do you need special tools to dry flowers? Drying flowers can be achieved easily at home. See it less as a challenge and more as an opportunity to capture a fading moment and emotion. Nearly any flower can be used. You can save flowers from a cherished bouquet or turn to the garden to capture scented flower heads before they are blown away by an incoming storm.
Once you have found the perfect blooms, follow these steps.
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- Decide if you want to keep the green foliage to embrace the natural form or remove them from the stem completely to keep a focus on the colourful blooms. Either choice doesn’t have an impact on the final results, it’s all down to aesthetic.
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- Once your blooms are prepared, you need to tie them into bunches. Take up to fifteen stems (any more than this and it could slow down the drying process) and tie tightly together at the base so the heads can hang free. Elastic bands are good to use for this as they will shrink as your flowers dry and keep them neatly together.
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- Once you have your bunches ready, you need to find a place in your house to dry them. The ideal conditions are somewhere warm and with good airflow. Hallways work well for this reason, a warm corner in the kitchen would also be a good home for your drying station. The main thing to remember is that they shouldn’t get wet! Once you have picked your spot, hang the bunches upside down.
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- The final step is patience. You may need to wait up to 4 weeks for your stems to be completely dry. You will know when they have finished the process as they will feel papery to the touch.
It is that simple! Once they are dry you can display them in your home and will only need to replace them when you are ready for a seasonal change.
Once you fall into the world of dried flowers, you quickly develop a love for them. If you would like to explore ideas to have your own installation, reach out and I would be thrilled to start that journey with you.
