Here at Sweet Earth Co., our cutting gardens are full of beautiful blooms from spring through late fall that we use for fresh floral arrangements and installations.

But we also plant plenty so that we have some to dry. We harvest some blooms so that we can preserve them and use them for dried bouquets and crafting.

We also plant about 10% extra so that we can leave them in the field and collect seeds.

There are several summer blooming flowers that we like to dry at Sweet Earth Co., from hydrangeas to lisianthus.

We also use ornamental grasses, such as Northern Sea Oats, Greater Quaking Grass, and Bunny Tails.

Of course, there are also many herbs that can be dried to use for bouquets, herbal teas, and for cooking. Herbs we like to dry for bouquets include lavender, mint, sage, lemongrass, and dill.

See some examples from the flower farm in the video below. (And don’t forget to subscribe to the Sweet Earth Co. YouTube Channel.)

There are also some spring blooms that work well for drying, including ranunculus, larkspur and peonies. Here is a list of the spring flowers we dry, but there are many more.

Many of these can be dried in bunches, pressed to preserve the flower heads or dry just the petals to use for confetti or potpourri.

One thing to keep in mind is that just as you harvest your blooms when they are at their freshest for your floral arrangements, you must also harvest them at their peak for drying. You don’t want to wait until they’re a little bit spent or past their prime. So for both fresh and for dried, harvest blooms at their prime. For many, this is before flower heads are fully open.

Methods for Drying Flowers

Most flowers can just be bundled and hung upside down to dry in a dark area that has plenty of air circulation and low humidity. At Sweet Earth, our drying room is equipped with two fans and a dehumidifier.

We also use mesh frames to dry blooms. These are especially useful for drying herbs and for bloom heads that you want to dry flat, such as zinnias, dahlias, and mums. When we want the flower heads to dry flat but we also want to preserve them on the stem, we get scrappy and use crates and buckets as pictured above.

You can also preserve your blooms using a flower press machine or simply press between heavy books.

We have tried using both sand and silica gel to dry and preserve our flowers, but prefer the more sustainable methods such as hanging to dry.

Drying flowers is a way to preserve your floral bounty so that you can enjoy your blooms even through the winter months, either in dried arrangements or to use in crafts. Here are some of our favorite uses for dried flowers: