How to dry flowers for bouquets: advises a florist

How to dry flowers, how to choose plants for drying? Florist Aurelija Razutine promise: you will be surprised at the variety of plants that can be dried. Maker of handmade home decor items, «Factory“ the author and creator of the most amazing dried bouquets and wreaths presents her creations and shares her experience – she even finds beauties to dry in her garden!

We got to know Aurelia’s works Yellow Wheelbarrow Club at the meeting – a circle of like-minded people, uniting plant lovers and professionals from various fields. If you are also interested in these meetings, read more about the club and join it you can here.

Surprising knowledge

When the florist presented us with her bouquets of dried flowers, we couldn’t take our eyes off. Is it possible to dry so many flowers and plants yourself? How to choose plants and how to dry flowers for bouquets at home? Aurelia gives generous answers to all questions. You won’t believe it, but you can harvest plants to dry all year round!

Dried flower bouquets are a delicate and natural decoration for the home, especially when you want a longer-lasting decorative solution than flowering houseplants or cut bouquets.

When and what gather

Harvesting and drying plants can be divided into four seasons: from early spring to late winter. There is probably no time when we run out of plants in nature, we just don’t notice it while walking. «The inspiration for my work was a bouquet of tulips purchased on February 16, which began to dry naturally in the vase a few days later. This is how I came up with the idea of ​​drying the plants grown in my flower garden and using them creatively.»

• Hellebore flowers, daffodils, grasshoppers;
• Tulip petals, blue phlox, yellow leaves;
• «Flesh» petals of peony tulips;
• Parrot tulips, which are characterized by the fact that they are harvested in the expansion phase and do not lose their flowers when they dry;
• Black tulips look exceptional when dried;
• Petals of small flowers – sprinkles for decorating Easter eggs;
• Botanical tulips and hyacinths make excellent seed holders for dried bouquets and look great in the flower garden until mid-June.

What should not be dried?

The florist also presented those plants from the spring assortment that could not be successfully dried:

• Krokai?
• Vilkdaljiis;
• Violas;
• Snowdrop;
• The flowers of the wild tulip (Tulipa Sylvestris) remain colorless, crumble or rot, do not dry naturally;
• Hyacinths may not be liked due to their strong odor, which does not disappear even after drying.

Like Jcut flowers for bouquets

Aurelia dries plants in several ways:

• Collect the petals in a paper box and leave them in a dry room;
• Spread out on paper and left on the heated surface: after a day they are already crunchy;
• Stemmed plants, such as poppy buds, are hung in upside-down bunches;
• Other stemmed plants are placed in a vase without water or in a woven basket, then the buds are bent to dry and the stems unfold beautifully.

The colors of summer flowers

Plant flowering is more intense in summer. The florist recommends drying the following colored plants:

• The vibrant yarrow ‘Parker’s Variety’ retains its bright yellow color;
• The purple spice is given by oregano, sedum, lavender flowers;
• ‘Summer Skies’, purple withers;
• A pink hue can be obtained from the full-bodied petals of pilasters, nightshades, astrantias, roses and sea buckthorn, which have an intoxicating scent in the corolla;
• The white color is complemented by yarrow, wormwood, gubia;
• Echinacea are real queens. They all retain their intense color, the petals are hard and do not fall apart.

In addition to the flowers, it is also worth adding the pods of mature flowers to the basket:

• Sinavadi;
• Linen;
• Tuberculosis;
• Penstemons;
• Black groats;
• Poppy;
• Garlic.

By the way, dry the ancient morning poppies before they open, in the bud stage.

Autumn plants to dry

In autumn, in the plant palette, there are more brown, yellow and orange flowers. Which ones to choose? Aurelia’s choices for autumn:

• Various types of sunflower petals;
• Rudbeckia, hydrangea flowers;
• Fennel candles;
• Dumplings, chairs;
• boxes of evening primrose seeds;
• Red beetroot, carrot, horseradish after ripening of flowers and seeds;
• Pods from the garden;
• Various bell-shaped plants: sorrel foliage, miscanthus, bearded. Bluebells can also be used to make the base of wreaths.

It is worth distinguishing hydrangeas, because there are different types of them, and the color palette is painted differently during the flowering period. Therefore, it is useful to choose hydrangea flowers in different months. Then you will have a variety of colors from greenish white to pink, burgundy and purple blue.

It is also important to mention the elegance of Japanese fur. The flowering plumes stack like the fork of the water god Neptune with cotton balls, which open beautifully in a warm room and can perfectly decorate a winter bouquet.

There’s something to collect inside toothe county

In winter we think that there is nothing under the snow… But even in that period the vegetation creates its beauty. An Advent wreath really requires no investment. Mother nature offers us excellent tools. These are dogwood, larch, yew, beech, thuja, ivy, blueberry, lingonberry, pine, juniper branches, ferns. And our long forgotten forest carder. We will rarely see it in the wild, but you can grow it in your garden. It is prickly, but wonderful in crowns, with which in ancient times our ancestors removed fluff from fabrics. And finally, Aurelia’s wish: «Let’s try, let’s dry and share our experience».

The abundance of plants listed by florist Aurelija Razutienė only reminds us that we can bravely try to dry the flowers we like and we will certainly be able to use them for bouquets, wreaths and decoration production in all seasons. And after using these tips, the task «how to dry flowers for bouquets» becomes a means for natural creativity!

If you also wish to participate in the events and meetings of the related club, we invite you Click hereA and join the Yellow Wheelbarrow Club today.

Read also:

Dried flowers: a list of suitable plants and tips for drying

Some plants should be cut before winter, others in spring

Related courses:

«Laboratory on plant arrangement» — in it you will learn how to choose the right ones from thousands of plants and what principles to follow to create harmonious plant combinations.

«Naturalistic flower garden» — in these courses you will learn the principles of modern plant engineering and create your own personal flower garden. The course is available online, so you can study at your own pace.