Ask the Expert: Florist Gayle Nicoletti on How to Dry Flowers
Walk into Bloomingayles Floral Design shop, and you immediately forget that you just stepped into a metal shipping container.
Wanting to work more sustainably and recognizing that her clients desire for arrangements that last longer, she incorporates less perishable floral items into her work, such as feathers, seed pods, dried grasses, air plants, orchids, and of course, dried flowers.
“When designing an arrangement with dried flowers and foliage, I combine the stems and blooms with the same approach as I would with the same freshly cut flowers. Also, one should handle dried flowers gently as they are more fragile,” advises Gayle.
Recently, as she worked on a signature composition of both fresh-cut stems and long-withered blooms, we chatted about the best way to dry flowers.
Craspedia (Billy buttons) maintain their vibrant color even when dried.
1. Choose the right flowers to dry.
“My top favorites are straw flowers, Billy buttons, king proteas, queen proteas and Banksias. I also love using sea thistle, globe thistle, safflower, and of course, hydrangeas, the queen of dried flowers,” says Gayle.
2. Remove foliage and dry in water.
A selection of dried botanicals at Bloomingayle’s.
After harvesting or buying already cut flowers always remove the lower foliage and remove thorns from the stems And you should do this step before hydrating to avoid adding bacteria to the water Proteas sea thistle safflower eucalyptus and billy buttons can dry in the...
...vase standing straight up in about two to three inches of water To avoid the stems rotting change the water every few days and give the stems a fresh cut After one to two weeks the blooms should be dried and the remaining water emptied
3. Or hang upside down to dry.
To ensure grasses dry straight (and not too droopy), Gaye recommends hanging them upside down.