Ok, so it’s only September 1st… yesterday was still August for pete’s sake, but I find myself writing about flowers for Christmas. For some, this is just rude to talk about when we haven’t even packed away our summer skirts and thought about getting out the thermals yet. However, it is now that I find myself collecting up bits and pieces for use at Christmas. What better gift to give at Christmas than a home grown, home made Christmas decoration. All that’s involved is a little pre planning. There is heaps that can be picked, dried, collected and stored for use at Christmas.
Almost all plant material can be dried, everything from flowers, foliage, seedheads, grasses, nuts and cones. Natures larder really is bursting right now. There really is no limit to what you can harvest, and if in doubt, what have you got to loose? if you try to dry it and it is a spectacular failure, so what?! Just be sure you always take much more than you anticipate needing as you will have failure to some extent.
Use your imagination when collecting, I like to include feathers( pheasant is a favourite….sometimes my cockerel drops the odd feather too!). Lichens can be stunning as can barks of different textures and colours, as the autumnal leaves change their colours collect them too. Seed heads are the obvious ones. I could write a list as long as my arm of all the ones I use, teasel, allium, poppy, nigella, cardoon, eryngium, echinops to name a few. There are plenty of flowers that dry very well, amaranth, cockscomb, celosia, helichrysum, statice, hydrangea. My daughter takes great pleasure in finding all sorts of treasures, especially cones and acorns, i’m sure she was a squirrel in a past life!
What ever you are harvesting for your Christmas extravaganza, make sure to collect it when it is dry, avoid recent rain or morning dew. Always use a sharp blade and choose specimens of good quality. Some plant material is naturally dry like seed pods, grasses ect and will take little effort to preserve them. Air drying is the easiest way to preserve plant material. Simply tie together in a loose bunch and hang upside down in a dark, warm, dry place for 1-3 weeks.
All you need do then is get out the glue perhaps some ribbon a little glitz and let the creative juices flow!!
Ok, so it’s only September 1st… yesterday was still August for pete’s sake, but I find myself writing about flowers for Christmas. For some, this is just rude to talk about when we haven’t even packed away our summer skirts and thought about getting out the thermals yet. However, it is now that I find myself collecting up bits and pieces for use at Christmas. What better gift to give at Christmas than a home grown, home made Christmas decoration. All that’s involved is a little pre planning. There is heaps that can be picked, dried, collected and stored for use at Christmas.
Almost all plant material can be dried, everything from flowers, foliage, seedheads, grasses, nuts and cones. Natures larder really is bursting right now. There really is no limit to what you can harvest, and if in doubt, what have you got to loose? if you try to dry it and it is a spectacular failure, so what?! Just be sure you always take much more than you anticipate needing as you will have failure to some extent.
Use your imagination when collecting, I like to include feathers( pheasant is a favourite….sometimes my cockerel drops the odd feather too!). Lichens can be stunning as can barks of different textures and colours, as the autumnal leaves change their colours collect them too. Seed heads are the obvious ones. I could write a list as long as my arm of all the ones I use, teasel, allium, poppy, nigella, cardoon, eryngium, echinops to name a few. There are plenty of flowers that dry very well, amaranth, cockscomb, celosia, helichrysum, statice, hydrangea. My daughter takes great pleasure in finding all sorts of treasures, especially cones and acorns, i’m sure she was a squirrel in a past life!
What ever you are harvesting for your Christmas extravaganza, make sure to collect it when it is dry, avoid recent rain or morning dew. Always use a sharp blade and choose specimens of good quality. Some plant material is naturally dry like seed pods, grasses ect and will take little effort to preserve them. Air drying is the easiest way to preserve plant material. Simply tie together in a loose bunch and hang upside down in a dark, warm, dry place for 1-3 weeks.
All you need do then is get out the glue perhaps some ribbon a little glitz and let the creative juices flow!!
When you get home with your delicious bouquet……