Everlasting flowers

Craspedia globosa (drumsticks) thrives in full sun and grows well as an annual in our unheated polytunnel in Scotland. Known as drumsticks, it’s loved by pollinators and is one of the easiest flowers to dry. The yellow, spherical blooms go a beautiful mustard shade as they desiccate. They make a bold statement in floral arrangements but look equally good in a vase on their own. It’s one of the most popular dried flowers we sell. Height 90cm.

Ammobium alatum (winged everlasting) produces an abundance of tall, green stems covered in lovely round flowers. They have papery white petals that open to reveal sunny yellow centres, and they flower generously throughout summer. The blooms continue to open as they dry, their yellow centres turning a beautiful, jewel-like golden colour. They partner well with shimmering honesty (Lunaria) seedpods in dried winter arrangements and provide a wildflower-like charm to summer bouquets. It is perennial but best grown as an annual. Height 60cm.

Tanacetum vulgare (tansy) is a productive perennial and blooms all summer long. It has aromatic leaves and cheerful sprays of flattened, button-like yellow flower clusters on tall stems. For best results with drying, harvest just as the middle flowers of the cluster are fully open – the rest will open as they dry. Best grown in full sun, this is a popular plant for its warm, golden ochre colour. Height 90cm.

Xeranthemum annuum (annual everlasting) is a plant I’ve been growing for many years, and I’ve got a home grown bunch of its dried flowers on my office desk. The flowers are particularly effective when grown en masse, which is easy – just scatter the seeds directly on the soil in spring. Sturdy, silvery stems bear pretty pink, white and purple blooms with an almost metallic sheen. They are very easily dried and retain their colour well. Height 50cm.

Psylliostachys suworowii (Russian statice or syn. Limonium suworowii) is brilliantly quirky and attention-grabbing with its long, dense spikes of pink flowers that bloom throughout summer and well into autumn. It’s one of the best flowers for drying, retaining itsstrong pink colour and creating interesting shapes within an arrangement. Grow as an annual. Height 60cm.

Scabiosa stellata ‘Sternkugel’ (starflower scabious) is an annual we grow every year. The bee-friendly purplish-white flowers are pretty but aren’t the main event. They cheat a little at being everlasting, as it is actually the spherical, papery seedheads that shortly follow that warrant all the attention – and they do deserve to be included as they look so much like flowers. Often called star flowers, they make a beautiful and unusual addition to fresh cut-flower arrangements in summer but also dry well to provide decoration year-round. Height 70cm.

Xerochrysum bracteatum (everlasting flower) are striking, colourful annuals that are sometimes listed as Helichrysum bracteatum. I know them as strawflowers, and they produce endless summer flowers in tones of warm reds, pinks, oranges and creams, perfect for drying and using to decorate your home. It is a self-seeder so you can either dig up and grow on the seedlings or harvest the seeds for sowing next year. Grow in well-drained soil in full sun. Harvest when most but not all of the flower is open to ensure it holds its colour and doesn’t go to seed when drying. Height 75cm.

Limonium sinuatum ‘Pacific’ mixed is an eye-catching annual mix of pinks, purples, whites and yellows. Known as statice, it flowers all summer in full sun and well-drained soil. The more blooms you harvest, the more the plants produce. It’s a great beginner plant for easy germination and growing. When dried they make great arrangements in the home and the colour can hold for years, but they do become brittle eventually. H80cm.

 Achillea ‘Coronation Gold’ AGM (yarrow) is a reliable perennial for everlasting flowers and has large clusters of yellow blooms in summer and autumn; staying vibrant when dried. Grow in the sun on well-drained soil. When drying for display, hang them on their own in a dry room to aid airflow. Height 1m.

Origanum ‘Kent Beauty’ (Oregano) is an unusual perennial subshrub that’s perfect at the front of a border or in a pot. It produces clusters of arching flowers that resemble hops during summer and into autumn. The colours of the flowers and bracts (modified leaves) shift from deep pink to mauve and they dry well. The stems are delicate, so I cut and dry them to use in flower crowns and smaller wreath work, bringing a touch of elegance to my designs. Height 10cm.

Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’ (sneezewort) is a perennial related to yarrow (Achillea millefolium), but it looks quite different, with pure white double (or sometimes single or semi-double) clustered blooms on tall stems. They retain their purity if cut for drying when the stems at the base of the flower are no longer floppy when shaken, and when the majority of flowers remain white. Hang them upside down for a few weeks and use in dried bouquets as a filler. Plants can also be cut back in mid-summer for a second flush of flowers. Height 1m.

Anaphalis triplinervis AGM (everlasting summer snow) is an herbaceous perennial with beautiful white flowers from mid-summer to early autumn. Known sometimes as pearly everlasting, it produces clusters of small flowerheads, each with a yellow centre surrounded by delicate, papery white bracts (modified leaves). They dry almost exactly as they appear on the plant. I use them in my winter wreaths, nestled among naturally bleached grasses. They’re best cut and hung to dry when the flowers are fully open. Height 60cm.