Dried Flowers Yesterday And Today

Compositions of dried flowers have been decorating the house for a long time: they were placed on the piano, sideboards, window sills … These bouquets were especially popular in winter, when there were no fresh flowers. At the beginning of the 20th century, interest in them noticeably diminished, because harsh and often dusty compositions of dried flowers began to be perceived as a symbol of an era out of fashion. Much has changed since then. Nowadays, any major flower shop has a wide variety of dried plants. New drying and conservation methods have emerged that preserve colors and the spectacular shape of plants. The term "dried flowers" is not entirely correct. Firstly, some plants are preserved in a glycerin solution, so that they are not "dry", and secondly, along with flowers, herbs, seed pods, large leaves, and fruits occupy a significant place in the compositions of dried flowers.

However, it is not at all necessary to use only purchased material. By drying garden and wild plants on your own, you can provide yourself with free material for arrangements. Plants can be air dried by hanging them in a cool, not damp place with good air circulation. Air dried material is characterized by orange, cream and brown tones. For plants processed in glycerin - brown or green color. Flowers dried in silica gel retain their bright color. You can also artificially tint the plants.

Wicker baskets have always been the favorite vessels for dry bouquets. However, recently, vessels made of glass, plastic, and ceramics have begun to be widely used. When composing compositions from dried flowers, it must be borne in mind that they are very light. To prevent such compositions from turning over, sand or gravel is poured into the vessels in advance.

Dry compositions last for years and require almost no maintenance: they only need to be shaken off dust from time to time. They do not need to be watered, so such bouquets can be placed in any, even hard-to-reach, place.

Based on the book by D.G. Hession "All About Plants Arrangement"