From pampas clouds to floral art frames, dried flowers have seen a renaissance. Interest in preserving flowers has been growing as people realise that longevity and sustainability are their key attributes. Anything that can be decomposed by fungi, bacteria and micro-organisms, so it doesn’t persist indefinitely in the environment. Biodegradable plastics are usually made from plants, such as bamboo, rather than fossil fuels. Ideally, products that claim to be biodegradable should break down quickly and leave nothing harmful behind. However, they may need specific conditions in order to biodegrade successfully or may produce greenhouse gases such as methane in the process.
Where to start with drying flowers
It’s easy to dry and care for most flowers and foliage, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
-
Use the best quality flowers you can find as no amount of drying will help a poor bloom look better
-
Keep displays out of direct sunlight and away from moist rooms such as a bathroom or they could go mouldy
-
Remove dust with a hairdryer, set on a low heat, every now and then
Techniques you can try at home
Air drying
This is an easy technique with no special equipment required. Statice (Limonium), grasses, yarrow (Achillea millefolium), poppy seedheads (Papaver) and sunflowers (Helianthus) are ideal for this method:
-
Select good quality flower stems and strip off the lower leaves
-
Tie with a rubber band and hang upside down in a place with low light levels and good ventilation
-
Check for signs of mould and move to a more suitable location if needed, removing any mouldy stems or flowers
-
Dried plants should be ready to use in 2 or 3 weeks, but some can take a bit longer depending on the moisture levels in the plant material
Silica gel
Silica gel is expensive to buy initially but is re-usable and longlasting. Avoid gels with blue colouring, which is copper based, and beads which are plastic. You could also replace silica gel with fine sand. Hellebores (Helleborus), peonies (Paeonia) and roses (Rosa) can all be preserved using this method:
-
Place a layer of silica gel in a plastic tub
-
Carefully snip off your chosen flower heads and arrange them on the gel
-
Surround the flower heads with more gel until covered
-
Check them every couple of days
-
The gel will absorb any moisture from the petals and change colour as it does so
Glycerine
Glycerine is usually vegetable-based. This method uses hot water and glycerine in equal parts and is a useful method for foliage such as box (Buxus), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and ferns:
Pressing
Pressing flowers is such a simple but beautiful way to preserve and enjoy the intricate details of flowers for many years. Leaves also make interesting pressed items for textural projects. Choose your favourites, and after pressing, create artwork or pretty cards as gifts. Pansies (Viola), primroses (Primula vulgaris) and small leaves are perfect:
Grow from seed
There are a few great flowers that you can start growing from seed that will make great dried flowers:
Be inspired by some of Theresa’s work