Preparing a bouquet of dried flowers

Easy to prepare, a bouquet of dried flowers will keep as long as you wish.

Dried flowers can be arranged into magnificent bouquets anytime during the year.

Key facts: excellent dried flowers

• everlasting
• hydrangea
• osteospermum

When to dry the flowers

• Collect the flowers in dry weather, preferably sunny, but never when it rains.
  Also avoid snipping the plants in the morning, because the dew might disturb the drying.
• If you’re picking flowers and not leaves, time your picking to match the moment they’re in full bloom, so that, once dried, they may retain their splendor.
  But you can also gather plants at different stages, this will lend more variety to your bouquets.

How to dry them and for how long?

Once collected, the plants must be kept for 2 to 3 weeks upside down in a dry, ventilated and dark place. Drying them in the dark is important to preserve the fresh looking-hues of your flowers.

• Smaller flowers like those of French lavender only need 2 weeks, while larger hydrangea flowers need the full 3 weeks to dry well.

Best flowers for a bouquet of dried flowers

All plants can be dried, but some will stand out more than others when you’re creating your flower bouquet. For instance, in the bouquet showcased above, the fire-cracker like flowers are those of giant onion flowers.

Prime choices are lavender, roses, hydrangea, dahlia, yarrow and grasses that will provide for magnificent dried flower bouquets.