Interested in dried flowers? Some of the most common questions from our customers are answered here. Click the links below may help you navigate this long article quicker. :)
1. What are dried flowers?
Dried flowers are real flowers that have been properly dehydrated, with a water content of around 16%*. (*Source: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.)
It is different from preserved flowers or artificial flowers. You can find a detailed comparison of dried flowers and preserved flowers here.
At Earth & Green, we use naturally dried flowers for our floral designs and stay away preserved flowers. Find out why here.
2. What is the difference between dried flowers and preserved flowers?
In this article, we've listed eight major differences between dried and persevered flowers. But in a nutshell:
Dried flowers are dehydrated real flowers, made using various drying methods to retain the look of fresh blooms.
Preserved flowers are real flowers that have been dehydrated, bleached and dyed using chemicals. They can be extremely colourful and can last longer than dried flowers.
3. How are flower dried naturally?
There are many ways to dry flowers, for example, using warm air, sand or silica gels. At Earth & Green, we dry flowers using the traditional way and let the nature do its wonders. We harvest and condition the flowers when they are the freshest, and then hang them upside down in a dark room with constant warm air flows. We believe this is the most eco-friendly way to dry flowers and achieve great results.
4. Can all flowers be dried naturally?
Drying flowers naturally is more eco-friendly than chemically preserving flowers. Theoretically all flowers can be dried naturally, but not all of them can retain their shape and colour when dried, therefore are not aesthetically appealing.
At Earth and Green, we have tried to dry many different flower, with various degree of success. Some flowers retain their colour and texture better than others when naturally dried. You can see our findings here.
5. How long will my dried flowers last?
Naturally dried flowers can last for at least 6 months to 1 year with minimum care. Billy buttons, eucalyptus and some paper daisies can last much longer. In this article, we demonstrate the longevity of our naturally dried flowers through an experiment.
Being a natural product, dried flowers won’t just perfectly suspend in time indefinitely. Their colours will gradually fade away, or their petals will start to fall out. But their changing appearance also adds to their charm, isn't' it?
Dried flowers will last longer if they were dried when they were the freshest. That's why at Earth and Green, we grow our own blooms to dry, or source the freshest from local growers.
6. How to maintain dried flowers?
Dried flowers require minimum care, but to make its beauty last as long as possible, here are some tips:
Put the dried flowers away from direct sunlight, as it will make the colour to fade quickly.
Put the dried flowers away from moisture, as it encourages fungi and mould to form.
Less touching is always good, as some dried flowers can be very fragile or brittle.
Inspect your flowers once in a while and keep the insects away. Some dried flowers, such as billy buttons and paper daisies, are prone to attract insects and moths.
Gently blow dry your flowers using the low heat setting on your hair dyer, if you find them really dusty or droopy.
7. Do dried flowers smell nice?
It depends on the type of flowers that have been dried and how they are stored. Some dried flowers and foliage will retain their aroma when dried, such as lavender or eucalyptus. But most others will not have any aroma when dried, and some may even have a very faint musty odour if you stick your nose really close. But if you want, you can always spray your favourite fragrance over them to make them smell nicer.
8. Where to buy dried flowers?
Dried flowers are more difficult to store and transport, as they are prone to breakage and damage than preserved flowers. That's why it is so much easier to find preserved flowers from florists than dried flowers.
If you are after high quality dried flowers that can last long, be sure to shop around and look for those dried blooms that are free from fungi spots and with vibrant natural colours. You can also buy fresh blooms from local growers and dry them yourself, using the hot air dying method we mentioned here.
9. Why are dried flowers more expensive than fresh flowers?
Dried flowers are generally more expensive than fresh blooms for the following reasons:
It involves additional/technical work to dry flowers properly to retain its fresh and vibrant look.
Flowers shrink in size when dried, so more flowers are needed to create a same size bouquet than using fresh blooms.
Dried flowers are more fragile and prone to breakage, so the cost of maintain and ship each stem is higher than that of the fresh one.
They are going to last way longer than fresh flowers, and can be re-used repeatedly, so they are a higher value and more budget-friendly in the long run.
10. Where to put my dried flowers at home?
Dried flowers can easily elevate a room and are great home décor. You can put them anywhere you like, but best to keep them away from humid air, kids, pets and windows to prevent unnecessary damage.
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