There’s something a little bit magical about air dried flowers, that have some old-world charm about them. They make me think of old castles, princesses and witches that have saved and preserved beautiful flowers over time. They make me think of all the flower petals I saved from previous boyfriends, and how the memories of that time always brought a smile to my face.

 

 

Not all flowers are created equal though, and not all flowers dry well. You’ll know this if you’ve ever bought a fresh bouquet and watched it slowly fade away in front of you- such is the beauty of fresh flowers! So without further ado, let’s have a chat about my favourite flowers to air-dry.

This is without a doubt the easiest way method to dry flowers, as it requires very little time and effort. If you are after a vintage-inspired, traditional dried flower look, this is the method for you. To air-dry flowers, all you really need to do is trim the leaves, secure stems with a rubber band, and hang upside down in a dark, dry place. This is your best bet in order to retain colour and keep moisture out- which  is what makes flowers go mouldy.

 

The best flowers for air-drying are ones that aren’t full of moisture already. Hardy native Australian foliage such as Eucalyptus, Geraldton Wax and Wattle will all dry pretty nicely on their own, as well as Protea and Banksia flowers. Gypsophilia (commonly known as Babies Breath) is fabulous for air-drying, and although they may shrivel up some, I find Sunflowers and Hydrangea can dry beautifully by the air method as well. Flowers I’ve found don’t take to the air-drying method are almost always flowers that have a lot of moisture in them. Varieties such as Gerberas, Gladioli and Lillies will almost always go completely floppy and super discoloured to grey or brown.

Some varieties of roses will also completely discolour, but hold their shape pretty well when air-dried.

Ultimately, I have to say air-drying isn’t my favourite method of drying flowers, but sometimes I accidentally forget about flowers on the shed benches and I am surprised at how pretty they are when I eventually find them! There’s also something so beautiful about naturally dried wreaths and art pieces that I love too.

What’s your experience with air-dried flowers? Love them or hate them? Let me know in the comments below!

Love & Flowers,
Tamsyn.