Gardeners Are Sharing the Most Beautiful Flowers to Dry – and the Arrangements Are Breathtaking

When I was a little girl, I loved to dry flowers. I vividly remember keeping my eyes peeled in the garden, at the park, and at school in search of pretty blooms to immortalize. Some I pressed between the pages of books and baking paper, whereas others I left in their 3D state to dry in the air.

Seeing this Reddit thread about drying flowers really made all the memories flood back. Though I by no means was ever a professional who was particularly "good" at drying flowers, it brought my younger self countless hours of joy.

Who’s drying what? Favorite flowers & foraged material? from r/gardening

Now I'm all grown up, I asked a flower professional how the people in the thread have been going about drying their flowers as well as what a person can do with their dried bunches. Who knows, perhaps I'll make time in the near future to take a walk down memory lane and gather some up to dry for myself.

Why Forage Flowers?

Foraging for flowers has been done for centuries. In the past, it was largely for medicinal or culinary purposes, where certain blooms were edible or had some kind of healing property.

But in modern times, flowers are more commonly gathered for decorative purposes, whether they're displayed in the home of the gatherer or gifted to someone else to display in their space.

According to Grace Scott, the owner of For Keeps Florals flower preservation business, one of the most pleasing aspects of foraging for flowers today is the sense of reward.

"Growing and foraging flowers is a timeless and universal tradition found in virtually all cultures across the globe," says Grace. "Perhaps it stems from the intrinsic reward we get from gathering and using our resources, or maybe it's just our desire to be closer to nature, but humans seem to universally love collecting beautiful flowers."

Flower foraging is also always new and exciting, as the flowers available in the wild will change with the seasons and locations you're visiting. It's always an adventure or a treasure hunt!

What Flowers Are Gardeners Drying?

The desire and adoration for the natural beauty of blooms is a large part of what draws people to dry their flowers for preservation.

On Reddit, commenters appear to have been drying blooms, including lavender, miniature sunflowers, hops, baneberry, larkspur, and hydrangea. But the options of what you could dry are endless.

Grace shared a list of some other popular flowers people choose to dry. They're often chosen for the way they maintain color as well as for their shape. Though those in bold she wouldn't recommend drying upside down, as they're rather top-heavy, so the petals could fall off.

• Statice
• Baby's breath
• Delphinium
• Yarrow
• Lilac
• Chamomile
• Pampas grass
• Dahlias
• Peonies
• Lilies
• Zinnias
• Orchids

How to Dry Flowers

The stunning bouquets on Reddit are being dried by hanging them upside down. This method is effective as flower petals contain moisture, and hanging blooms upside down helps to pull moisture out. It's also beneficial to the flowers' stems to hang bunches upside down because this way the stems won't wilt and topple your blooms over while the drying process commences. They're held rigidly in place while hung, keeping everything secure.

The process of drying flowers upside down is actually rather simple and doesn't require a lot of tools to undertake. Here, Grace breaks down the method:

1. Really, all you need to start is a handful of your favorite blooms, a string or a few rubber bands to tie the stems, and somewhere to hang them – like a clothesline or hook, preferably free hanging and not against a wall.
2. Bundle the stems of your blooms together by wrapping the bands or string around until tight.
3. Create a loop out of a string or bands to hang the bunch of flowers from. Attach this hanger to the string or bands you used to bundle your flowers together.
4. Hang the flowers from somewhere free hanging [If I were in a pinch, I'd hang mine from my collapsible clothes airer!]
5. Keep them in a cool, dry place with good ventilation and out of direct sunlight for 3-5 days, or longer depending on the season.
6. Watch for mold and make sure to check for pests.
7. Do not use any chemicals, pesticides, or sprays to prolong the flowers' life, as these often have the opposite effect.
8. Lastly, be sure to consider a flower's smell before you fully commit to displaying it!

What to Do with Dried Flowers

Dried flowers are gorgeous displayed in a vase, but if you're looking to get creative, why not make little pots of potpourri for your friends and family? Or perhaps you could make a floral wreath if you're up for a challenge? Happy crafting!

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