Dried flower inspiration

[Guest]

As an extension of my new found cut flower habit, I am planning on drying flowers and bits for the quieter times. After copious googling and you tube vids I have some rather lengthy lists but you can't always trust what you read. I would be grateful to know what sucesses and failures grapes have had, any recommendations, tips etc. List so far (and I haven't got all of them but am not admitting to what I have )

Flowers

Astrantia
Corn Flowers
Helichrysum (strawflower)
Hydrangea
Larkspur
Lavender
Nigella (love in the mist)
Pink Pokers (Russian statice)
Roses
Statice

Seed heads

Alliums
Chinese Lanterns
Echium
Eryngium
Honesty
Poppy (esp. Hen and Chick)
Nigella
Nigella Orientallis
Scabiosa
Teasel

Grasses (inc. Cereals)

Barley
Bunny Tails
Corn
Frosted Explosion
Oats
Quaker
Rye
Wheat
Mixed Annuals

Foliage

Bay
Eucalyptus
Rosemary
Skeleton Leaves

[veggiechicken]

I've grown helichrysum, statice, lavender & honesty specifically for drying. Anything else has been accidental.
Bay and rosemary I wouldn't dry but pick fresh.
How about hydrangeas? They're easy.

[roitelet]

How about Allium seed heads. Dry themselves, dead easy!!!

[Zelenina]

I have a yellow flowered yarrow in my garden that has turned out to be very good for drying. It looks like Achillea filipendulina aka the fern-leaved yarrow. It's a very tough, hardy perennial and self-seeds very easily if you let it. But that won't be a problem if you cut all the flower heads for drying.

[Zelenina]

Allium christophii has particularly spectacular seed heads.

[Mitzi]

Allium christophii has particularly spectacular seed heads.

True, but they do detach easily from the stalk when dried. I believe in the wild it then rolls around, blown by the wind, scattering seed as it goes.

[cheops]

All allium seed heads are fantastic in a dried flower attachment. Two tips that might be helpful. Some of the taller varieties and bigger seed heads, their stalk can bend over - easily corrected by pushing pipe cleaners or other support inside the hollow stems. Also if you don't let the allium seed heads fully dry before arranging, when in the arrangement the seeds will be released and you will be forever hoovering the fallen seeds up.

[WPG]

That's a very handy list Norfolkgrey, I already grow a few of them, but want to try to diversify next year.

There's another flower Gomphrena or Globe amaranth which I've read is also good for drying.

I've been growing helichrysum for a few years now, and although they're one of my favourite dried flower I still haven't mastered how to dry them without the stems breaking. But one thing I have learnt from experience is not to hang them to dry in a darkened shed - the colour fades by doing that. I tend to pick them when they're almost fully flowered, strip the leaves off, and place them flat on a sunny window sill to dry. I find the flowers will open as they're drying, and the colour stays as bright.

[veggiechicken]

Growing a Dried Flower garden!

Shamelessly, jumping onto NG's thread, after seeing Farendwoman's helichrysums.

I want to grow dried flowers next year - not specifically for cutting but for long lasting colour in the garden.

Are there any that can be sown in autumn to overwinter?

[Guest]

you can get away in a mild winter with helichrysum, cornflower and statice as they are hardy annuals so you just get an earlier flowering, Teasels and honesty are biennial so are ideal sown now til sept

[farendwoman]

That's a very handy list Norfolkgrey, I already grow a few of them, but want to try to diversify next year.

There's another flower Gomphrena or Globe amaranth which I've read is also good for drying.

I've been growing helichrysum for a few years now, and although they're one of my favourite dried flower I still haven't mastered how to dry them without the stems breaking. But one thing I have learnt from experience is not to hang them to dry in a darkened shed - the colour fades by doing that. I tend to pick them when they're almost fully flowered, strip the leaves off, and place them flat on a sunny window sill to dry. I find the flowers will open as they're drying, and the colour stays as bright.

I haven’t been able to dry helichrysum successfully either. The flowers keep for years, but the stems just wither and die.
I’ve also grown gomphrena, and likewise their stems just shrivel.
I’ll post a picture of the gomphrena tomorrow - they’re lovely as a cut flower.
I’ve got a pale pink, a very bright pink and a red one. I grew them from saved seed from a deep pink one but the resulting colours were random. To be honest, the pale pink is a bit wishy washy for me.

[farendwoman]

Been picking helichrysum today to take to the Market tomorrow.
Hope I don’t have to bring them home again like last time!

[veggiechicken]

2020 - Dried flowers

I must, must, must grow some flowers for drying this year.

Anyone else?

[farendwoman]

I must, must, must grow some flowers for drying this year.

Anyone else?

Yep ... I am ...... pink helichrysum, blue statice and white acroclinium.

[Guest]

I will tell you once their seedy little bottoms touch the soil.