Dried flowers enjoy a sudden surge in popularity these days. Aside from looking gorgeous on your table or windowsill, these carefree, low maintenance flowers offer a lot of benefits. “Drying flowers is a great way to save cash and reduce the impact of your carbon footprint,” boasts the National Wildlife Federation. More than that, dried flowers offer a wide range of benefits for you and your loved ones.
Benefits of Dried Flowers
To start with, dried flowers are much easier on your wallet compared to purchasing fresh flowers. Because they’re preserved for long periods, they are less costly than their fresh counterparts. The amount you’ll spend on dried flowers depends on several factors such as the type of flower, how it’s dried, and what kind of preservation method was used. In most cases, the price of dried flowers is equivalent to the cost of buying one or two small fresh flowers.
Most dried flowers are beautifully preserved by using indirect sunlight or a fluorescent bulb. Direct sunlight can damage the fragile roots of the flower while a fluorescent bulb will preserve the colour and overall quality of the flower for an extended time. Another advantage of dried flowers is that they don’t need to be replanted every year. If you want to give them away as gifts during the holidays, you can even let them dry and store them in a vase for the next holiday season.
Dried flowers retain almost all of their original shape and structure. You may notice that they look just like they did when they were new. Because dried flowers retain their shape, they can be used to fill in holes or to cover up defects in a bouquet. Because they can be stored for years, they’re often given as gifts during holidays or birthdays.
For the most part, dried flowers are less fragrant than fresh flowers because they retain most of their essential oils. This is good news for someone who has trouble with spicy smells. For those who love the smell of fresh flowers, dried flowers can add a pleasant accent to your floral arrangements. The dried stems add a tender flavour to your bouquets and will help cut back on the number of times you have to wash fresh blossoms.
Choosing Dried Flowers
When choosing dried flowers, it’s important to determine whether your arrangement will go well with the dried flowers or if it will look better as a fresh flower bouquet. If you’re looking to create a floral arrangement from dried flowers, you’ll have fewer options when it comes to colour and texture. Dried blossoms tend to have fewer petals and fewer leaves than fresh flowers. This means that dried flowers are best used for creating small arrangements, such as floral pendants, or as the focal point in a larger floral arrangement.
Aside from being used for bouquets and other decorative arrangements, dried flowers can also be used to keep stems healthy. Stems from fresh flowers don’t need to be dried before using them again. If you store your dried flowers in a cool place like your freezer, you can use your stems later to create a colourful centrepiece or liven up an arrangement. Don’t be afraid to experiment with dried flowers. Your imagination is the limit!
A great way to get started using dried flowers is by combining them with herbs. Many dried flowers, such as rose petals and stems, come with small seed pods that catch air and mould easily. Dried herbs can provide a natural, beautiful contrast to a vase of fresh ones. Simply combine dried flowers with your choice of herbs to create a lush, eye-catching arrangement. Make sure to use enough dried flowers to create the desired effect; adding too many leaves or stems will have your arrangement looking less than vibrant.