Dried flowers

In many ways the beginning of October marks the start of our flower farming year, mulching and preparing beds, planting out bi-annuals and hardy annuals. Every season brings joy on the Flower Farm and one of the joyful things at this time, as well as being able to use rose hips and autumn foliage in our designs, is searching through our flower drying loft reliving some of the delights of summer.

Here is a list of some of the flowers we are drying, ideal for a little hint of summer past as the days shorten:

• Achillea (Yarrow)
• Amaranthus
• Atriplex
• Daucus
• Dill
• Eryngium (Sea holly)
• Gysophila
• Helianthus
• Helichrysum (Straw flower)
• Limonium (Statice)
• Nigella (Love in a mist)
• Pampas

The picture below shows an arrangement made entirely with dried flowers: achillea, amaranthus, eryngium, gyposphila, hydrangea, nigella and pampas. As with all our arrangements this was constructed without using damaging floral foam.

The wreath below was constructed at the beginning of October 2022 and contains: dill, eryngium, gypsophila, helichrysum, hydrangea and nigella.

The wreath below was constructed in October 2021 and contains: atriplex (that’s the pink, curly seed heads), daucus, helichrysum, hydrangea, limonium and nigella. This arrangement is still going in October 2022

The wreath above is made from dried : beech leaves, dill, eryngium (sea holly) gypsophila, helichrysum, hydrangea, nigella pods, blue statice and white statice and a base made from bound leylandii.

Dried flower posies wrapped in hessian squares and tied with raffia. These were made by members of the public at the Weald and Downland Museum, Chichester, during their ‘Hunker down and hibernate’ weekend 21st and 22nd October 2023