Gifts from the Garden: Dried Flowers in Winter

 

I know I promised to return to regular posts, but so far, I have only managed two in 2020. Sorry about that! My sister was here for a visit from Ireland, so a number of renovation projects demanded all my time. In the end, not everything got done for her visit, but I am pleased with what we did manage to accomplish.

It was lovely to spend a little time with my sister Nancy. For most of our adult lives, we have lived on different continents. Though we talk often, time spent together is much less frequent than I'd like. 

Outside my window, light powdery snow is swirling around in a wicked wind like a swarm of angry hornets. Warm spring days are over a month into the future, so its a bit early to be thinking about starting seeds. Instead, I tend my little indoor garden that sits along a window ledge overlooking the same snowy landscape.

 

 

Any flowers are a welcome sight on these bleak winter days– pots of yellow daffodils, fragrant hyacinths or bunches of cut flowers from the grocery store. 

While fresh is best, dried flowers can be just as pretty. In February, it was a pleasure to pull out a small vase filled with the strawflowers I had dried last fall. Dried flowers have fallen out of fashion in recent years, but I am hoping they are finally going to be making a comeback. (Hey, who would've guessed that macrame would come back into fashion in such a big way!!)

Recently, I have been really inspired by the work of UK florist Lindsey Kitchin (see thewhitehorseflower on Instagram). Take a quick look at these lovely creations that mix flowers, foliage and berries; here, here and here. 

I love the wide variety of materials used and the simple velvet bows that adorn many of her arrangements. I find myself flipping through catalogues with a mind to planting more foliage and flowers that might be dried for next winter.

After I took down the Christmas decorations in January, I dug out the dried flower wreath I made last fall and hung it up in the freshly painted dining room. 

The mauve, pink and purple flowers never seem to fit with autumnal shades of yellow, orange and red, but right now in the dead of winter, those cool colors feel appropriate to the season, and at the same time, cheerful enough to foretell the arrival of spring.

Artemesia ludoviciana 'Silver King' is a spreading perennial that has fragrant, silver-grey foliage (As this is an aggressive perennial, I would not recommend it be mixed into a perennial flowerbed. It's better grown in a large tub). Drought tolerant when established. Full sun. Height: 75-90 cm ( 29-35 inches), Spread: 60-75cm (23-29 inches). USDA zones: 2-9.

I started this project with a Grapevine wreath as my base. Then I wedged in pieces of Artemesia that I had grown in the garden and dried (I prefer not to use wire or glue to hold my dried materials in place. I like to dismantle and reuse my grapevine wreaths when they get dusty. If you prefer something more secure, apply glue to the base of each stem or wrap the flowers in with wire).

Best Foliage for Dried Arrangements

Artemesia 'Silver King'

German statice or Goniolimon tataricum

Sea Lavender, Italian statice or Limonium latifolium

Seeded Eucalyptus

Whether you are making a wreath or an arrangement of flowers in a container, you need a good foundation of foliage on which you can build the final project. Of all the materials you will need, this layer requires the greatest amount of material. 

I often see delicate Sea Lavender in the floral section at the grocery store, but it is fairly pricy. It is hardy here, so Limonium latifolium is one of the perennials I'd love to add to my garden.

Sea Lavender, Italian statice or Statice latifolium forms a low mound of leathery green leaves. Clouds of wiry, upright stems carry pale lavender flowers in summer. Pick the stems just as the flowers begin to open and hang them to dry. Once established this perennial is very tolerant of hot, dry sites. It dislikes being moved or divided. Attractive to butterflies. Sandy, well-drained soil is prefered. Full sun. Height: 60-75 cm ( 23-29 inches), Spread: 60-70 cm (23-27 inches). USDA zones: 2-9.

German statice or Goniolimon tataricum is quite similar, but the dried branches are a bit more prickly. Again there is a rosette of leathery green leaves and upright branches of flowers in summer. Sandy, well-drained soil is prefered. Drought tolerant once established. Full sun. Height: 25-40 cm (10-16 inches), Spread: 30-45cm (12-18 inches). USDA zones: 2-9.

Seeded Eucalyptus, which has grey-green foliage, is readily available through florists or at the grocery store. I simply hang it to dry.

Best Seedheads for Drying

Allium

Annual Poppy, Papaver somniferum

Love-in-the-Mist, Nigella damascena

Seedheads of Ornamental Grasses

Top left to right: Amaranth, Sea Holly, Celosia. 

Bottom left to right: Gomphrena, Yarrow and Lavender.

How to Dry Flowers

Air Drying

The best method for drying flowers varies according to the flower, but hanging them to upsidedown is one of the easiest methods for drying a wide array of flowers. It is best to harvest flowers when they are just beginning to open. Pick them on a dry day in late morning after any dew has evaporated or in the early evening. 

Generally speaking, I remove the leaves from the flower stems (dense foliage can affect good air circulation around flower bunches and cause stems to rot rather than dry. Leaves can also become quite brittle when dried). An exception to this rule might be roses. The leaves are brittle, but rather pretty when dried. I only clear away the foliage at the base of the stems where my elastic band will sit.   

Simply bind small bunches of flowers together with an elastic band. This is better than string as the elastic will adjust to the shrinking size of the stems as they dry. Any dry place out of direct sunlight will do to hang your flowers. (Keeping them out of the sun is the best way to preserve the flower's color.) Depending on the bloom, it can take a week or more for flowers to dry (flowers that are successfully dried will have papery petals and stiff stems).

The Best Flowers for Air Drying

Amaranth

Baby's Breath, Gypsophila paniculata

Cock's Comb, Celosia

Globe thistle, Echinops

Gomphrena

Hydrangea

Lady's Mantle, Alchemilla mollis

Larkspur, Consolida ambigua

Lavender, Lavandula

Roses, Rosa

Sea Holly, Eryngium

Statice sinuatum

Strawflower, Xerochrysum bracteatum

Yarrow, Achillea

A few of the many flowers that can be dried using silica gel or sand. Top row left to right: Peony, Foxglove, Bachelor's Button. Bottom Row left to right: Calendula, Delphinium and snapdragons.

Silica Gel or Silca Sand

I haven't used silica gel in years, but I do still have a box of it somewhere in the basement. Silica gel is useful for fleshy or many-petaled flowers with a high moisture content that doesn't respond well to air-drying techniques. Silica (silicon dioxide) absorbs and holds moisture. You may be most familiar with the little pouches of silica that are often found at the bottom of paper boxes. Silica gel can be found at Michel's, Lee Valley Tools and online.

To dry flowers using this method, place an inch or so of silica gel at the bottom of an airtight plastic container. Remove the flowers from their stems and place facing upright into the silica gel. Long flowers like Amaranth can be placed on their sides. Sprinkle a little more of the gel in among the individual flower petals. Seal the box and place it in a dry spot out of the sun. Check on the flowers every few days to see how they are drying. It may take as little as a few days to a week. (Note: flowers left too long in the gel may become so brittle they will fall apart).

I have never tried it, but apparently, you can speed up the process of drying flowers in silica sand with the microwave. Check out this FTD tutorial for more details.

A Few of the Many Flowers that might be Dried with Silica

Bachelor's Button, Centaurea cyanus

Calendula, Calendula officinalis

Carnation, Dianthus caryophyllus

Delphinium

Feverfew, Tanacetum parthenium

Foxglove, Digitalis

Marigold, Tagetes

Peony, Paeonia

Rose, Rosa

Brown-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia

Snapdragon, Antirrhinum

Sunflower, Helianthus

How Long do Dried Flowers Last?

I have had dried flowers in a glass-fronted cabinet in the living room for over a year. As long as you place them in a dry location out of direct sunlight, wreaths last for months. Dust seems to their main enemy.

Growing Three of my Favourites

If I had to choose three of my favourite flowers to work with, they'd be Strawflowers, Statice and Gomphrena (also known as Globe Amaranth).

Strawflowers (seen above) are easy to grow yourself from seed.

Strawflowers, Helichrysum bracteatum are wildflowers native to Australia. These sun-loving flowers are actually short-lived perennials (USDA zones 10-11) but are generally grown as annuals in more northern climate zones like mine. They are easy to grow from seed in any hot, dry site. Height: 30-40 cm (12-18 inches) Spread: 24-30 cm (10-12 inches).

Here in Canada, where the growing season is shorter, it is a good idea to start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost. If you are in a more temperate zone, you can plant seeds outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.

Note: If you aren't able to grow your own Strawflowers, you may still be able to find flowers to dry in the fall. Look for them at your local Farmer's Market or even at your neighbourhood grocery store. 

The petals of Strawflowers have a papery texture even before they are dried. The stem is quite fleshy in contrast and becomes a bit brittle when dried. 

Harvest strawflowers before the flowers are fully open. The blooms will continue to open during the drying process. (Quite often the flower heads are cut from their stems and a florist's wire is inserted into the flower to act as a stem. If you were preparing the dried flowers for sale or if the flowers will be handled a lot, I would think about replacing the dried stems with florist's wire.)

Statice, Limonium Sinuatum is not the most attractive of plants, but it does dry really well. I usually buy inexpensive bunches at the Farmer's Market. If you want to grow it yourself, Statice can also be grown easily from seed.

Statice, Limonium Sinuatum: There are a number of varieties of Statice or Limonium. Limonium sinuatum is a tender perennial (annual here) that has papery blooms on stiff green stems. Full sun.  This plant prefers well-drained, sandy loam with dry to medium moisture. Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date or sow directly outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. Height : 45-60 cm (18-24 inches), Spread: 38-45 cm (15-18 inches). Hardy USDA zones: 8-10.

Globe Amaranth, Gomphrena has clover-like flowers. Pinch back young plants to encourage a bushier habit. Attractive to butterflies. For the best results, harvest flowers as soon as they are open. Stripe off any foliage and hang them upsidedown in a dry place out of direct sunlight. Gomphrena seeds have low germination rates, so soak seeds first for best results. Poor soil with good drainage is best. Full sun. Height : 45-60 cm (18-24 inches), Spread: 38-45 cm (15-18 inches). Hardy USDA zones: 8-10.

I am looking forward to ordering some seeds and experimenting more with dried flowers in the new year. 

Simple Techniques for Drying Flowers

 

There was a time when dried floral arrangements were hugely fashionable. Every fall I would make  up bouquets and a dried floral wreath to hang in our bedroom.

Styles change and over the years it became harder and harder to find the raw materials for my wreaths and flowers to make up dried arrangements.

Finally the habit of drying summer flowers faded altogether from the my fall routines.

Then, as luck would have it, I came across bunches of Strawflowers and Statice at the local Farmer's Market this summer. 

The fresh, new-mown-hay smell of the Strawflowers made me feel so nostalgic that I found myself wondering why I had ever stopped drying flowers.

There are a great many types of flowers and plants are suitable for drying. 

Here are just a few: roses, lavender, peonies, amaranthus, celosia, larkspur, Baby's Breath or gypsophia paniculata, hydrangea, German statice or Statice tatarica, Italian statice or Statice latifolium and a wide variety of herbs. 

Like Strawflowers, many of these flowers are actually easy to grow yourself.

Strawflowers, Helichrysum bracteatum: are wildflowers native to Australia. These sun loving flowers are actually short-lived perennials (USDA zones 10-11), but are generally grown as annuals in more northern climate zones. They are easy to grow from seed in any hot, dry site. Height: 30-40 cm (12-18 inches) Spread: 24-30 cm (10-12 inches).

Here in more northern gardening zones where are growing season is shorter, it is a good idea to start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost. If you are in a more temperate zone, you can plant seeds outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.

The flower petals of Strawflowers have a dry, papery texture even before they are dried. The stem is quite fleshy in contrast and becomes a bit brittle when dried. (Quite often the Strawflowers heads are cut from the brittle stems and a florist's wire is inserted into the flower head to act as a stem. If you were preparing the dried flowers for sale or if the flowers are to be handled a lot, I would think about replacing the dried stems with florist's wire.)

This is the Statice, Limonium Sinuatum that I saw growing in the field at Butt's Berry & Flower Farm. It too can be grown easily from seed.

Statice, Limonium Sinuatum: There are a number varieties of Statice or Limonium. Limonium Sinuatum is an annual that has papery blooms on stiff green stems. Full sun. Height : 45-60 cm (18-24 inches), Spread: 38-45 cm (15-18 inches).

The best method for drying flowers varies according to the flower. Hanging flowers to dry is one of the easiest methods for drying a wide array of flowers. 

I dried my strawflowers in small bunches along with some white Statice or Limonium Sinuatum. 

While you may find it more of a challenge to find strawflowers to dry, Statice of varying kinds is commonly available most places you buy cut flowers. I have even seen it at my local grocery store in the floral department.

I was able to buy Sea Lavender or Limonium latifolia (seen above on the top right) at a local flower shop and found some pretty purple Gomphrena (seen above on the left) at the grocery store.

To prepare flowers for drying, remove any leaves and simply bind small bunches together with an elastic band. 

Make a bow with some twine and use one of the loops to hang your flower bunches. (Much to my husband's annoyance, I hung my flowers on a couple of the knobs on my kitchen cabinet doors.) 

Any dry place out of direct sunlight will do to hang your flowers. (Keeping them out of the sun is the best way to preserve the flower's color.)

I found it took about a little over a week for my flowers to dry. 

To make a simple arrangement with your dried flowers begin with the filler materials; in this case the feathery Sea Lavender. (You may find your dried Sea Lavender branches will shed some of the tiny blue flowers so choose a smooth surface on which to work. That way you can quickly sweep up any flowers that drop.)

Then fill in your arrangement with the chunkier Statice, Limonium Sinuatum.

Finally add your accents: in this instance, the Strawflowers and purple Gomphrena.

The overall effect of the finished arrangement is soft and delicate. 

I think you will find that drying flowers is a great way to keep a little bit of summer going well into fall.

In this post I'll show you how to make a wreath with dried flowers. You also might be interested in this post featuring projects with dried hydrangeas.

Part 2: The Dinner Plates Dahlias & Flowers for Drying

It's a bit of a hike to the back field at Butt's Berry and Flower Farm where the dinner plate dahlias are grown. Rose Oldham suggests we might even want to take our car and drive out there.

As we crest the hill, the huge field of dahlias comes into view. 

Ahead of us, on the dirt road, we see that one of the summer hands is using a bike 

to make the same trek to the back field.

Suddenly the sun comes out from behind the clouds and it is bright blue sky and dahlias as far as the eye can see!

The dahlias we have come particularly to see are the "Dinner Plates" which, as the name suggests, are blooms the size of a small dinner plate. 

Put just one of these flowers in a vase and you already have a floral arrangement with a big impact.

This striking dinner plate streaked with magenta and maroon caught my eye immediately.

This is Dahlia 'Bristol Stripe'.

In the field there were rows of different shades of pink and lavender.

Dahlia 'Otto's Thrill'

Close-up of Dahlia 'Otto's Thrill'

Though I have always read that taller varieties of dahlias need some sort of support, none of the dahlias were staked. I asked Rose how the get away without staking the flower-heavy dinner plates.

"We plant our dahlias close together; about 12" apart. In tight rows, the dahlias seem to hold one another up. Another thing we do is to hill the young plants up with the tractor. I think this has to help as well", she replied.

Now you at home may not have a tractor, but you can still hill up taller dahlias to give them added support.

 Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait' is a creamy mix of pink and pale peach.

Opposite the row of hot pink Dahlia 'Otto's Thrill' is a line of creamy-yellow flowers striped with red.

 Dahlia 'Lady Darlene'

 Dahlia 'Lady Darlene'

The flower petals swirl up from the centre like flames.

The field also boasts every hot color from tangerine to red.

 

If you want to grow dahlias, here is some brief pointers for storing them over winter in a northern garden zone:

To overwinter the tubers, wait until frost has blackened the foliage and then dig deep beneath the clump. Lift the tubers carefully avoiding any possible damage to the neck near the crown. Each mother tuber can yield as many as 10 more tubers by autumn.

Use a sharp knife to slice the young tubers from the crown. Discard the "mother" along with any baby tubers showing signs of damage. Bring the tubers indoors and wash the soil from the tubers. Allow them to dry for 24 hours. Use a permanent marker to label the tubers for easy identification in spring. Place them in cardboard box and fill it with dry wood shavings or sawdust. Store your tubers in a dry place that stays above freezing temperatures for the winter. (A cold cellar or heated garage will work well. A basement may be too warm. )

Dahlias are not all that is grown on the farm.

 When we first arrived family patriarch Ross Oldham was setting off to pick 

the last of this summer's strawberries.

There are also pumpkins and a variety of vegetables.

 One final crop that I have yet to touch on are flowers that are perfect for drying, like these maroon strawflowers:

They have a fresh, new-mown-hay scent, hence the common name "Strawflower". More about 

Strawflowers in an upcoming post.

Everlasting flower or Statice (botanical name Limonium) is an old-fashioned annual

 that you simply hang to dry.

Have you ever seen these rather wacky looking flowers before? 

 These are an annual called Amaranthus Cruentus.

These similar, but pendulous flowers have the common name 'Love Lies Bleeding'. The botanical name is Amaranthus caudatus.

Amaranthus caudatus: A Victorian favourite, Amaranthus caudatus is great in fresh and dried floral arrangements. It is an annual flower that requires full sun and is quite happy in rather poor soil. As a seedling it likes moist conditions, but the mature plant is quite drought tolerant. Height can be as much as 3-5 feet. One word of warning: Amaranthus caudatus is quite the self-seeder and is considered invasive in some places. To avoid problems, harvest your Amaranthus caudatus before it drops its seed. Otherwise you may be weeding it endlessly next spring!

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not also point out that the farm also produces 

gorgeous delphinium each June.

                                                      

More Information and Links:

Butt's Berry & Flower Farm

5838 5th Line

Rockwood, Ontario

(519) 856-0270

Delphinium, dahlias, and a variety of other flowers are grown on the farm. Orders for special events such as weddings are welcome.

There is no catalogue at this time, but dahlia tubers are available for purchase each spring. 

The farm also produces a wide range of vegetables, pumpkins and berries.

Visit the Butt's Berry& Flower Farm Facebook page.