Circle around, circle in, circle back – so many figures of speech use the image of a circle, and so it is in the floral world. Flowers or colors trend then fall out of fashion, the Pantone color of the year may take months or even years to become a favorite in your locale, and techniques that are all the rage one summer may suddenly look dated the next.
Circling back in these days are dried flowers. Popular in the eighties and nineties, designs featuring “everlastings” then fell from favor for a time. In recent years, we have seen a welcome resurgence in interest, as there is much that dried product offers the designer.
One of the most important features is adding an additional stage of beauty which extends the life of the design – most helpful in the winter months when fresh product locally is not as plentiful as in other seasons. Carol Carrier of Plantmasters Flowers gave us all much to consider with a February presentation on this topic, and it is fascinating to consider how many different blooms and even foliages can be dried to beautiful effect.
If there are flowers you seek for drying, consult with your local growers and ask them to grow the desired color of celosia or statice or strawflower. Take time now to learn about what flowers dry well, or just start experimenting. Check your local library or Amazon for the vast array of books on dried flowers; two of my favorites are Everlastings: The Complete Book of Dried Flowers by Patricia Thorpe and Everlastings: How to Grow, Harvest and Create with Dried Flowers by Bex Partridge.
Our own IFDA members have created thoughtful uses of dried flowers depicting creativity and intelligence, which will be shown on our website and public Facebook page. The gallery of images will inspire you to add another stage of beauty to your designs, another part of the circle of life.
What’s Available Locally in February: This list is by no means comprehensive, just a sampling of what growers in our area may have this month.
Paper white narcissus, hellebore, quince, forsythia, pussy willow, hyacinth, and all kinds of dried flowers!
Care tips for Annual Statice (Limonium Sinuatum) If harvested when a little less than half the flowers are open, annual statice is fresh for about a week – but lasts indefinitely dried. One of the easiest flowers to dry, you can hang upside down in bunches, or simply leave in a vase with no water. I find stripping the leaves when fresh is helpful, as they will sometimes yellow as they dry.