Dried flowers are a bit trendy. Now, they’re popping up at swanky openings, chic boutiques, adorning stylists’ homes and beaming brides. Fresh flower selections are slowed down by the time gardeners get into action before winter.
what can you do Almost everything, says sculptor, gardener and former gardener Jane Cush. Cush Gardens in Mittagong, Southern Highlands, on a field with stunning views that on a clear day seem to stretch all the way to the stunning Centrepoint Tower.
You can dry your own flowers at home.
Her charming garden is all about picking, but one of her favorite arrangement themes, fresh or dry, is something she doesn’t even grow. Wild fennel was a weed, but Cush could not get rid of it. “It’s very light and dynamic, and while I’m generally not a fan of yellow flowers, this color is beautiful and subtle enough for any arrangement.”
The edible and bronze fennel she grows amplifies the wild fennel she doesn’t grow. All three keep the bees happy in the hive in the corner of the vegetable patch. Other good foods for drying include artichokes and thornweed, or ball thistle, which have golf ball-sized, spiky blue flowers.
Greatella and hydrangeas also dry well, though Kush recommends waiting to pick the seeds until they’ve set for longer-lasting blooms. “Dahlias also dry well and hold their color, I’ve also started drying peonies and find they last about 6 to 12 months with the color fading.”
Hanging them upside down allows them to be better designed later.
Any flowers that you want to dry should be picked in full bloom. You might pick a fresh bunch in the buds and wait until they are fully open to dry. Remove the leaves from the stems and hang the bunches of flowers upside down in a dry and dark place to dry. Dry prevents mildew and dark prevents colors from bleaching.
upside down? Flowers and stems will remain in any dry position, as straight stems and upward facing flowers offer the best styling options later, and upside down is the best drying position.
Kush dries most of the flowers in her crowded shed, where a multitude of textures, shapes and subtle colors hang from the ceiling and trellises and protrude from barrels and boxes. She also utilizes a coat rack in the shade or the space near the laundry room dryer outlet when there is no room in the shed.
