Dried flowers have never been so fashionable as they are today. They allow you to create sumptuous dry bouquets, which last from a few months to one or two years, and no longer evoke the famous dust collectors of yesteryear, quite the contrary. They fascinate all generations and are essential in floristry. So let’s discover together which plants to grow to make bouquets of dried flowers to bring a natural touch to all the rooms of the house and also see how to indulge in this art.
The ideal flowers for the art of dry bouquets
Even if you can dry all the flowers, some lend themselves better than others to making dry bouquets. There is therefore no need to worry because the perfectly adapted species and varieties are extremely numerous and make it possible to obtain a stunning result.
From stars par excellence of the dry bouquetrise:
- L’Scaled everlasting (Helichrysum bracteatum), of the family of Asteraceae. It comes in an extremely rich palette of colours, from pastel pink to purple red, passing through white, orange, salmon and yellow.
- The ornamental grassesof the family of Poaceae, are fabulous in dry bouquets whether they are very large or small. In this category we know of course:
- the famous feathered reed which is none other than theGrass of the Pampas,
- wheat ears,
- Hare’s Tail,
- Amourette…
- Lavender (Washing her), sublime and fragrant,
- The Gypsophile (Gypsophila), of the family of Caryophyllaceaebrings a very airy note to a floral composition and enhances all the dried flowers that accompany it.
- The cotton flower in tree (Gossypium arboreum) or “Mexican Cotton” (Gossypium hirsutum), Of the nicest effect. It is used alone or in composition.
- The blue thistle (Eryngium alpinum), almost unavoidable because it can be kept for a very long time,
- The Larkspurof the kind Delphinium and the family of Ranunculaceaemajestic with its flower stalks 100 to 200 cm high depending on the species.
- L’Alkekenge (Physalis alkekengi), of the family of Solanaceae, better known as the Lantern. It should be noted that there are different species of Physalis that lend themselves well to making dry bouquets, which is the case, among others, of Love in a cage (Physalis peruviana).
Ranunculus, Peony, Rose, Nasturtium, Echinops, Astilbe, ornamental capsules of poppy, statices or even Lunar annual (Monnaie-du-Pape) which is probably one of the easiest flowers to dry.
When to harvest the flowers to dry?
It is very important to choose the right time to pick the flowers for theart of the dry bouquet, namely the end of the morning, quite simply because the dew had time to evaporate completely under the effect of the rays of the sun, even during the afternoon. We understand that picking should never take place if it is raining or just after a shower! This is absolutely essential for their future conservation.
Some flowers are picked before their full development (Buttercup, Lavender, Peony), even when they are still button (Pink). Others must be picked at the very end of flowering as is the case with the Hydrangea flower. Wheat ears are picked green, that is to say, not yet mature or, on the contrary, mature when they are blond, depending on the desired decorative effect.
After maximum three to four weeks of drying in the half-light of a well ventilated attic or a dry and ventilated cellar, tied up by species then hanging upside down, flowers can be used. All that remains is to let your creativity express itself to create unique bouquets, plant frames or even a magnificent herbarium… very original gift ideas.
The flowers declined in coloris pastel stay true to their tone over time. Some colors can fade more quickly as is the case with deep red, but nothing prevents drying red flowers of course because their charm is undeniable even when they are a little “passed”.
It therefore only remains to sow or plant their favorite species and wisely wait for the best moment to pick them in order to decorate the house or create a bridal bouquetopting all the same for plants that have natural drying abilities. To simplify the task, many home gardeners buy specially prepared seed packets from garden centers to allow neophytes to easily grow a profusion of flowers to dry.