Dried Florals are once again hot. I started growing herbs to preserve in the 80’s and while their popularity waned in the 90’s I still loved them and continued to grow and dry my favorites for winter arrangements so I am thrilled to see the comeback as the Bohemian look has become a thing again. Growing flowers and herbs for decorative use is a great way to infuse nature into your home long after the growing season has ended into the dead of winter. With a little planning as spring arrives you can plant, harvest, and dry beautiful bouquets by fall. This is Part 1 of a 4 Part Series I will be offering in the next few weeks to get you from planning your dried floral garden to using the dried stems in beautiful floral arrangements. First, there are several things to consider when choosing the best plants for dried bouquets.
- Why grow them yourself?
It’s an easy, inexpensive way to create your own supply of gorgeous floral decor with just the colors, style, and vibe you are looking for. It will also provide you with a beautiful outdoor garden throughout the summer. If you are not into growing yourself don’t worry! There are some great places to buy dried florals, read on.
- What is your style?
Beachy, Traditional, or Modern? Whatever your style is dried florals can give you the look you want.
Beach Theme- If you are lucky enough to live near a beach then you should be able to grow native plants such as grasses, palm fronds, pampas grass, and pineapple button flowers. Add a few pieces of driftwood and that is a beach theme!
Modern Contemporary -I am loving the loose and airy feel that a few singular branches can evoke which is contemporary but with a casual twist. It is such a great backdrop to a clean, uncluttered, modern room.
Traditional or Transitional – That can encompasses a casual cottage garden look or something more formal and traditional in feel and everything in between.
We will cover each of these looks in more depth when we get to Part 4 of the Series-Arrangements.
- What will work in your climate?
One thing to remember as noted above, you can always buy plants in their dried form to add to your theme if they are not native to your areas (such as palm fronds in a beachy theme). I do that often. For example, Strawflowers which are excellent for dried arrangements, were omitted from this list as they do not grow well in my Zone 6 climate. Dried Daisies, equally beautiful and similar in look can be dried as well but Strawflowers have a unique petal structure that is more like leaves making them a bit easier to dry. I would buy stems that I can’t grow in my own yard and mix those in if needed.
Here in the Midwest we don’t have the luxury of the long growing season seen in the south and west but the list that I have put together is a very easy and versatile group that should do well in most climates with the right soil and light conditions. I have separated the list into 3 categories, herbs, flowers, and branches. Each of these selections dry beautifully and will last over several seasons. These can be mixed into the most stunning arrangements. The herbs can be used as stand alone bunches or blended with the flowers and branches. Likewise the branches can be used alone or paired with the dried florals.
Top 15 Herbs, Flowers, and Branches To Grow Now
Lavender-Live
English Munstead Lavender – $39.59 Aromatic Tranquility English Munstead Lavender! Intensely Fragrant, Silvery-Grey Foliage Showy Flower Spikes Blooms Last a Long Time Sophisticated Mounded Shape Excellent Support for Beneficial Pollinators Very Useful in Soaps and Home Crafts Gre |
Lavender-Preserved
Dried LavenderGerman Statice-Live
German Statice-Preserved
Baby’s Breath-Live
Festival Star Baby’s Breath – $0 Shrub Full of Stars Festival Star Baby’s Breath Bright White Blooms Medium Green Attractive Foliage Deadheading Not Necessary Deer Resistant Attracts Beneficial Pollinators Festival Star Baby’s Breath, Gypsophila ‘Festival Starâ„¢’ (PP#14,81 |
Baby’s Breath-Preserved
Natural Preserved Baby’s Breath
Globe Thistle-Live
Blue Glow Globe Thistle
Globe Thistle-Preserved
Yarrow-Live
Strawberry Seduction Yarrow – $39.99 Fine-Textured, Showy Strawberry Seduction Yarrow Clustered, Velvety Red Flowers Each Tiny Bloom Features Yellow Centers Long-Lasting Flowering Display Wonderful in Cut Flower Arrangements and as Dried Flowers Excellent Choice in Pollinator Gardens |
Yarrow-Preserved
Boxwood-Live
Winter Gem Boxwood – $34.79 Shiny, Dark Green Winter Gem Boxwood Cold Hardy Variety of Boxwood Shiny, Dark Green Hedge Plant Low Maintenance Easy to Shape Adds Beautiful Structure Easy to Grow in Full Sun or Part Shade Use in Formal Gardens or Informal Applications Deer Re |
Boxwood-Preserved
Hydrangea-Live
Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Bigleaf Hydrangea – $24.79 Gorgeous Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Hydrangea Ombre Range of Bloom Colors Flowers in the Shade Disease Resistance Compact Habit Flower Buds Emerge in Early Spring Blooms on Last Year’s Wood and New Growth Reblooms All Summer Long Dark Gr |
Hydrangea-Preserved
Roses-Live
Red Double Knock Out® Rose – $29.99 Bright, Strong, and Stunning: The Red Double Knock Out® Rose Double Blooms Cherry-Red Flowers Shrub Rose Compact Growth Habit Cold Hardy and Disease Resistant When it comes to high-performing, reliable roses, the Knock Out series takes the c |
Roses Preserved
Sunflowers-Live
Tuscan Sun Sunflower – $39.99 Enjoy Bright Yellow Tuscan Sun Sunflower All Summer Long! Bright Yellow Daisy Blooms Continuous All Season Color American Native Ox-Eye Low-Maintenance Drought Tolerant Great Cut Flower Daisy-Like Flowers Thrives in Poor Soil Powdery Mildew Res |
Sunflower-Preserved
Winterberry-Live
Magical® Daydream Winterberry Holly – $89.09 Bright & Glossy Magical Daydream Winterberry Holly! Shiny Green Deciduous Foliage Compact Rounded Growth Profusion of Orange-Red Berries on Female Plants High Ornamental Value Hardy Native Shrub Tolerant of Wet Sites Bright Shiny Foliage ‘Southe |
Winterberry-Preserved
Red Twig Dogwood-Live
Bailey Red Twigged Dogwood – $59.99 Brilliant Red Stems Bailey Red Twigged Dogwood Vibrant Red Winter Stems from Winter to Early Spring Multi-Stemmed Deciduous Shrub White Flowers in Spring Bring Butterflies Dark Green Leaves for Summer Screen Small Berries Attract Birds Reddish-Pur |
Red Twig Dogwood-Preserved
River Birch-Live
River Birch – $54.39 Gorgeous, Hardy, Fast-Growing Native River Birch Gorgeous, Peeling, Salmon-Pink and Cinnamon-Brown Bark Fast Growing Pyramidal Growth Habit Becomes Rounded with Age Native American Deciduous Tree Glossy Green Leaves Make A Lovely Shade Tree Useful |
River Birch-Preserved
Pussy Willow-Live
Pussy Willow – $59.39 Fast Growing Pussy Willows Give Showy, Fuzzy Catkins Soft, Fuzzy Buds in Spring Excellent Cut Stem for Spring Arrangements Green Foliage All Season Great Cover for Birds and Privacy Easy to Grow If you love spring, you need a Pussy Willow (Salix |
Pussy Willow-Preserved
Pussy Willow Branches Preserved
Native Grasses-Live
Cassian Dwarf Fountain Grass – $49.69 Graceful and Flowing Cassian Dwarf Fountain Grass Compact Perennial Grass Fluid Arching Green Stems Pink Tinted Bottlebrush Blooms Attractive Fall Color Full Sun and Partial Shade Great Water Garden Addition A Natural Add On to Any Rock Garden D |
Native Grasses-Preserved
Aspen Gold Reed Grass Dried UPDATE: this product is no longer available through Sage Garden Style.
Next Part 2 of this 4 Part Series.
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