Many clients have asked about how to care for dried flowers. You might be wondering the same thing, so today I thought I’d write a blog article to answer it. So read on to get all the expert advice, so your dried flowers can last as long as possible.
Don’t They Just Collect Dust?
The short answer is yes, they do. I just love being honest and real! But not as much as you might think and they are actually really easy to clean. So how do you get the dust off? I hear you ask. I’ll give you a hint; it involves using a hair appliance that most people have. But more about that later. Right now we’ll look at how to care for dried flowers.
How To Care For Dried Flowers?
Ok, so let’s get down to it! We’re going to tell you all you need to know on how to care for dried flowers. Here are my expert tips and tricks to help your beautiful dried flowers last as long as possible.
- Don’t spray them with perfume or water. Dried flowers are like cats; they don’t like being wet!
- Do not add water to the pot or vase because you will just rot the stems and they will flop over.
- Keep them away from air conditioners and heaters, as they don’t like being blasted (me neither, come to think of it).
- Keep them out of direct sunlight, as this may fade them.
- Keep them out of the wind, as they may blow apart (I’ve had this happen to me and it’s not as funny as you might think. Ok, maybe if you’re someone watching on, it is).
- Also avoid keeping them in humid rooms, like a kitchen or bathroom, since they don’t like moisture (a bit like my hair).
- Do not touch them! They are delicate and don’t like being handled, otherwise you might damage them. Think of them like the divas of the flower world, “I’m gorgeous; don’t touch me!”
- Keep them inside, not outside. They don’t like being exposed to the elements and greater fluctuations in temperature. They’re definitely inside flowers; much like a cute, small dog!
- So what about that hair appliance to remove the dust?! You’ve probably already guessed that it’s a hairdryer. Just use your hairdryer on it’s lowest setting, with no heat and hold approximately 30cm away. Too easy!
How Long Will They Last?
So, now that you’ve learnt how to care for dried flowers, you might be wondering how long they’ll last. I always tell people dried flowers can last approximately 1 – 3 years, if properly cared for. It does depend on the type of flowers and foliage. Things like hydrangea and yamashida fern, for example, are more delicate and tend to look good for up to a year, where as other flowers like banksia and protea are a lot more hardy and will probably last 3 years or even more.
It also depends on what type of environment they are kept in. For instance, if it’s possible , keeping them in a room that has north or south facing windows will keep them cooler and happier, rather than a room that has east or west facing windows. This way the temperature will be more consistent through out the day and they won’t get cooked by the hot morning or afternoon sun. That was a bonus tip on how to care for dried flowers. The fact that you can enjoy dried flowers for so long is my customer’s favourite thing about them and mine to!
Which Is Easier To Care For – Fresh Or Dried?
Let’s start off by saying that both fresh and dried flowers require maintenance to keep them looking at their best for as long as possible. Fresh flowers will either need to be watered or have their stems re-cut. They also need to have their water changed, cause no one likes gross water with who knows what floating in it! And yes, dried flowers do need dusting. But the great thing about dried flowers is that it’s more about what you don’t do, that helps them to last as long as possible. And with our tips and tricks on how to care for dried flowers, this just got easier.
We’ve answered the question on how to care for dried flowers. But which is easier to look after? With fresh flowers you need to do more and they don’t last as long. Where as with dried flowers you do less, but they last a lot longer. So I’ll leave that for you to decide. Comment down below and tell me which you prefer and why.