If you are struggling to find high quality dried flowers, I’m here to tell you a little secret…

The best dried flowers - will always be made - with the freshest fresh flowers! 

I am constantly asked about where and how dried flowers can be sourced in Australia, and it is true that they are hard to find.  So, I thought I would explain a little bit more about how the process works. 

The moment a flower is cut from the plant, the clock starts ticking.  Even if flowers are kept in a fridge, the decomposition process will still begin to take place.  There is often a misconception that older flowers can be salvaged by drying them, but I have found that this never turns out well.

Flowers that sit around for too long will:

• Develop bruises
• Start to grow mould and bacteria
• Develop slimy and smelly stems
• Wilt and brown
• Lose strength and shape
• Overdevelop

All of these negative impacts will then transfer to the flower in its dried form.  This means that flowers may look broken or have browning petals that are starting to fall apart.  Stems may bend and droop where they are bruised.  Mould and black spots will spread and attract pests.   

And so, the best dried flowers will always be made with flowers that have been grown in your own garden or from a very local flower grower.  As soon as a flower is cut, the goal is to have it conditioned in water and hung up to dry within twenty-four hours.  Flowers should be harvested specifically for drying as well, so that the stems are strong, flowers intact, or desirable seed heads have developed.  

This is a tricky process to perfect, and so that is why high quality dried flowers are more expensive to create and less common.  Not only in Australia, but worldwide the market is increasingly dominated by preserved flowers grown in Asia-based factory farms.  It can be even more difficult to identify these mass-produced materials because some do appear to be naturally dried, but when looking closer you will find that the flowers are poor quality and just don’t seem quite right – they might smell funny, feel weak, or look like they are oozing something from their stems. Imported flowers are usually treated with sprays that are banned in Australia {but not overseas} which adds another icky layer to be wary of. 

Dried flowers should be crispy, strong, enchanting and inspiring; and perhaps the most wonderful thing about them is their longevity – but when the quality is not there, they simply just won’t last. 

If you are shopping for dried flowers, or looking to create your own {you can!}, keep these top tips in mind and you will be able to enjoy the beauty of your everlasting flowers for years.

• Grow your own – this can seem daunting at first, but even a flower pot or small garden patch can bring you a bounty of material.

• Search for local growers – try googling or visit your local farmers market, it is likely that there is someone there who can point you in the right direction.

• Ask questions – look for origin labels for fresh and dried flowers – do they say Australian grown? You can also ask your florist or market staff what state they were grown in. 

• Look closely - Do the dried flowers look really, really old, soft or weak? Do they smell funny or have moths in them?  Is there a residue seeping out from the stems? 

I hope that some of this info is helpful to you and thank you for reading.  If you would like to have a look at my collection, please enjoy browsing my naturally dried and locally grown flower varieties here {I hope you agree that they're gorgeous!} and do get in touch or leave a comment below if you have any questions that I can help with. 

With much love,

Elizabeth xx