#FridayFlorals: Going Dried

When it comes to flowers, your options aren't only limited to what may be in season or what can be imported, nor are you limited to using fresh flowers and petals. Dried flowers can be so effective for a variety of reasons:

They're Cost Efficient

Far cheaper to buy than fresh flowers, dried flowers can be purchased in bunches from wholesalers and specialty stores for well below what you'd pay for the fresh version. Alternatively, if you'd like to have a go at drying them yourself, you can choose bunches when you see them going cheap and prepare them yourself adding another element of DIY love to your nuptials.

They Last

While you can of course have a fresh bouquet preserved, a dried bouqet has had the work done for you already with no additional expense. The drying process also helps flowers become more fragrant, like lavender bunches or maize evoking whatever feeling you desire. If you're opting for a country theme, the scent of maize will do more than a hundred hay bales, and for a vintage or Tuscan themed wedding, the scent of lavender will create a relaxing, vintage feel to the day.

They make the best confetti

Rather than using fresh or freeze dried rose petals that may wilt in the heat and cost the earth, a quick scuff of the dried bunches can produce the best confetti, or you can even buy it already free from the stem, ready to be tossed. We love the idea of having guests fill their own cone with the fragrant goodies.

They make great favours

For an inexpensive favour choice, purchase some cheap calico or burlap favour bags and fill with a fragrant assortment of dried leaves to create fragrant drawer refreshers.

Use them as placemakers

A simple sprig of lavender or olive can be all you need to mark a guests's place. Tie them with a ribbon or raffia and add a swing tag and you have a simple and inexpensive placemarker that adds to the decor without grand expense.

Decor

Hang bunches from an arch to create a fragrant and stunningly beautiful bohemian altar. Add a mix of flowers and maize or wheat to assorted jars and create s umptuous centrepiece on each table. Tie lavender sprigs around a glass tealight holder with a piece of raffia for effective votives. Use in bouquets, as boutonnieres, flower crowns and corsages easily and elegantly. (no worrying about flowers wilting, especially in the case of flower crowns!).

Here are a few of the most common flowers used for drying:

Achilia (Achillea filipendulina) Widely used as a dried flower accent
Acroclinium (Helipterum roseum) Suitable for air-drying
African Daisy (Lonas inodora) Suitable for pressing and burying
Ageratum (Lonas inodora) Suitable for pressing
Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) This is an excellent flower because the pendant plumes are a rich red when dried it keep their natural colour. The long drooping flower with the green leaves adds a nice whispy touch to a bouquet
Ammobium (Ammobium elatum) A very nice dried flower accent used in clusters or single point of pure white daisies
Anaphalis (Anaphalis margaritacea) Enhances the beauty of a dried flowers arrangement
Annual Statice (Limonium sinuatum) The collection of blue flowers is brilliant with their evergreen leaves, a stunning combination
Artemisia Artemisia albula) Also popular as Â´Silver KingÂ´. Wreaths made with artemesia are simply great
Baby's Breath (Gypsophila paniculata)- It has stiff woody stems with dried flower blossoms
Blue Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro)- Beautiful, dense, blue, spiny globe-shaped dried flower heads on sturdy stems
Blue Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) The name is derived from a Greek description of the shape of the seed heads that were thought to resemble Greek water vessels
Blue Salvia (Salvia farincea) Suitable for pressing and burying
Broom Bloom (Cytisus scoparius) Excellent for dried flower filler offering an array of colour
Bunny Tail (Lagurus ovatus)
Canary Grass (Phalaris canariensis)- Enhances the beauty of a dried flowers arrangement
Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium)- A beautiful white flower that looks very similar to the daisy and chamomiles, having a yellow center disk with white rays
Hare's Tail (Lagurus ovatus) Grass variety, suitable for drying
Honesty (Lunaria annua) Popularly known as Â´Money PlantÂ´, suitable for drying
Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina) A dried product of the silver-gray, velvety foliage that is soft and fuzzy, like a lambs ear
Larkspur (Delphinium consolida) Light pink, true blue or white shaded dried flower blooms densely set along tall, tapering spikes
Lavender (Lavandula adentata) Lavender´s sweet scent and pretty little blue flowers are very enchanting
Lemon Leaf (Gaultheria shallon) Enhances the beauty of a dried flowers arrangement
Lepto (Leptospermum laevigatum) In the spring they are most attractive with a profusion of white or pinkish flowers which retain their colours even as dried flowers
Love-in-the-Mist (Nigella damascena) - It has a delicate and lacy covering from where the beautiful name. These soft, pastel green pods also have vertical lavender stripes
Millet (Setaria macrochaeta) - Mixed with grasses for a stunning Â´texturedÂ´ dried flowers arrangement
Monkshood (Aconitum napellus)- Enhances the beauty of a dried flowers arrangement
Nigella (Nigella damascena) -Also known as Â´Love in the MistÂ´ because of its delicate and lacy covering
Oats (Avena sativa)-The oats add texture to any dried flowers arrangement
Penny (Thlapsi arvense)-It is a strongly scented herb that has light blue to light lilac colored flowers that fork whorls along the main stem
Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)- The flower heads are very small but several occur on each stem. Each one consists of many pearly white papery bracts surrounding the tiny yellow flowering part in the center
Rodanthe (Helipterum manglesii) - Loose white to soft pink dried flowers 1-2 inches across. Rodanthe is a nice bright dried flower accent
Salal (Gaultheria shallon)- The leaves are perfect for wreaths or floral swags
Strawflowers (Helichrysum bracteatum)- Combining these dried flowers with wild apple and pomegranate,an excellent arrangement can be generated
Tea-tree (Leptospermum laevigatum)- Tea tree is not only great to have as an oil to enhance your skins life, it also looks charming. It adds height to a foyer display or a large public display
Wheat (Tritacum spelta cv.)
Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina) - It has flat umbels of small white dried flowers with a more open appearance. Yarrow is a nice large dried flower head used as a dried flower accent