Adding Dried Flowers to Your Space: Where to Go & DIY Tips
ROXY ALLNUTT
Flower psychology proves that flowers boost energy and mood. Opting for Dried over Fresh may be the calling your space needs.
11 JUL - 2021
Gorgeous, low-maintenance, and long-lasting; the approach I’d suggest you take into your flower buying - and your next relationship.
I’ve been an avid flowerer for the past five years, working for various florists.
My biggest struggle is that the flowers don't last. It pains me to spend hours on centrepieces and special occasion bouquets, but it won't be the same in a week. So this is where I turned to dried.
Dried flowers have only recently become a favourite of mine. I used to scoff at them because they reminded me of cheesy, out-of-date flower books from the late 1980s. Now I can’t believe it took me so long to discover their benefits. Drying flowers means preserving the abundance of your flowers to be enjoyed later. There has also been a significant surge in dried weddings and dried events, which I am all here for! Unfortunately, I also experience a lot of boredom when I’m sent reference photos of arrangements that are downright awful, so it has been a learning curve to figure out how to style dried with modern essence.
DIY
When I was starting out with drying my own products, I kept things simple and simply hung the leftover stems upside down in the sunroom. The standard advice is to dry flowers in a warm, dark place. Then, in the perfect conditions, your flowers will dry quickly, and their colour won't fade in the sunlight.
You can dry almost anything if you know-how. So if you want to give it a go, here are a few pieces of advice:
Make sure the flowers you choose for drying are not too fresh when you select them. I recommend selecting the flowers when they are about three-quarters open. During the drying process, they will melt if they are too ripe.
Remove all of the stem's leaves and foliage since they will become brown and crispy when dried and also leave a foul odour.
When drying bunches of flowers, hang them upside down so that the flower heads remain in the same position. This just keeps them nice and straight, making them easier to work with.
Straight to the Source
This doesn't mean you always have to dry your own product. Plenty of florists are selling commercially dried goods, or their own dried goods and will happily send you off with a bunch of loosely put-together stems for you to get nifty with.
If you’d like to take this path, here are my recommendations for styles to go with.
Wild, Whimsical, and Rustic
Florists like Rose Tinted Flowers have been leading this style for years. Keep in mind that while floral trends go in and out of season, it's great to trust a team to stick to their strengths.
If you’re keen on styling your home with bunches like theirs, I would invest in seedpods, grasses, mossy branches, and some grains.
In flower terms, nigella pods, bunny tails, wattle, amaranthus, and eucalyptus. Most of these ingredients may be able to forage. Their weedy and wild energy will create a statement in your space. Most florists will be able to provide you with these.
For the Boho Gal
If your space is craving something light, bright and soft, I would look to a florist like Dried Meadow, as she serves the boho vibes but with a contemporary edge.
I promise I’m not here just to promote all my favourite florists! But it's beneficial to find the style and vibes you love before embarking on your floral quest. Reference photos are KEY, and I hope that if you’re into trendy beige tones, you will find something you love here.
Things to go for when shopping this look… pampas grasses, banksia, teasel, cotton pods, bleached ming fern, bleached ruscus, and palm fronds.
You may struggle to find these types from your local florist. I suggest emailing in advance so they can source in advance. Be warned that the prices of bleached and dried products will go up. But you can justify your spending as it will last forever, right?
Oh So Lush
The final dried floral trend I see everywhere is brightly colour-blocking arrangements. Blush Flowers' bright palette serves as something you know will always stand out in a room. It can be pricey, but it is due to the intense bleaching and dying process.
If you want to make one of these yourself, you will look for preserved hydrangea, preserved ming fern, dyed bunny tails, and coloured rice flowers. Floral hack: you can order items like these from Etsy and Ali Express.
PSA: If you want to stay greener and cleaner on the planet, I wouldn't recommend this route, as nasty chemicals are involved in this process.
Blush
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