Decorate with Flowers Year Round Using These Tips [Tutorial]

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When winter has settled on our doorstep and blinding white snow fills the field outside my bedroom window, it is easy to forget the thrill of a vibrant bouquet of fresh flowers on the kitchen table. The muted tones of the season lend themselves to quiet reflection, but also a deep sense of emptiness that can set in with no notice if we leave it unchecked.

It is the time of year where Jeff and I find ourselves drowsy and full, disoriented by the lack of sunlight in the afternoons and finding the effort to keep awake to be challenging. But this year, I promised myself, would be different. This year, I would have flowers in winter.

A plan set in motion last March, when I set seeds into soil blocks underneath the grow light in the cold basement. A plan for eternal, dried flower blooms that would last far longer than the warm summer days in which they would stretch and grow and bloom. This is the story of strawflower and statice, poppies and cornflower, aster and lavender. While their scent may fade, the colors we miss so much in deep winter continue on in a vivid show that defies the passage of time.

Best flowers for drying

An endless variety of flower seeds will leave you feeling overwhelmed as you begin to flip through the catalogs and plan which flowers you’d like to grow for drying. However, with a few simple tricks you can easily set your sights on the best flowers to dry for eternal blooms. My first piece of advice is to ensure you receive the Fedco seed catalog each year - in fact, this is the best place to begin all your garden planning, not just flowers. The reason I suggest Fedco over others is twofold - firstly, you’ll be shopping high quality, non-gmo seed from a private source that isn’t just another subsidiary for Monsanto. Second, it is really a misnomer to call the Fedco book a catalog since the vast amount of educational information contained within really qualifies it as more of a book or guide. A free one at that! This is because the folks at Fedco have gone out of their way to provide useful charts and more to help guide you in your seed selection process. One chart in particular will be useful to us now, and that is the chart denoting the different forms and functions of all the flower seeds available for purchase. You’ll find this chart at the very beginning of the flower section. And no, this isn’t an advertisement for Fedco - just an honest recommendation from a fellow gardener who has utilized this tool for years.

It’ll make more sense once you have the chart in front of you, but there will be a column ticked off just for those flowers which dry well. This is an excellent place to begin making a list of all the possibilities before you do further research.

Don’t want to wait for the catalog to arrive? Here’s what I grew in 2022 for my dried flower garden:

Lavender

A favorite for many reasons, lavender is one of the few dried flowers which will retain its pleasant fragrance after drying. I have lavender bunches from a year ago that still smell incredible if you give them a quick squeeze to release the essential oils within. Known for its calming effects on the nervous system, lavender is an incredibly therapeutic plant to grow. Being a woody shrub however, it is also one of the more difficult ones to grow from seed on this list. You’ll want to do research on how this Mediterranean plant will fare in your own climate, and learn the best pruning techniques to keep it in tip-top shape. Once dried, the delicate purple flowers will make an excellent addition to any arrangement. I like to keep bunches of lavender on my bedroom windowsill.

Strawflower

This eternal bloom is a must for flower crowns and wreaths of all sizes. Strawflower has a long growing season and produce a huge amount of stems. We were picking strawflower all the way up to our first frost. The trick with cutting strawflower to dry is to cut at just the right stage of blooming - too early and the bud won’t open enough as it dries, too late and the blossom will open so far once it has dried that it will be barely recognizable, almost turning inside-out. To time it right, cut when the stem is no longer very wobbly when shaken and only 2-3 bracts of petals are open. This way, as the bloom dries the petals can expand outwards but still leave the very center intact and slightly closed. Strawflower is fun to tuck within an arrangement, but due to the stems tending to dry with bends and curves it is easier to use shorter pieces within a circular craft.

Statice

The variety of color within the purple family you can achieve with statice is remarkable. From our plot, we harvested rich magenta, pale pink, deep amethyst, bright white and even butter yellow blooms. Somehow all of these shades complimented each other perfectly, and made creating an arrangement simple. The long stems go rigid with drying, standing perfectly upright and straight for a large vase arrangement. The tiny individual blossoms are compact and generous, making for a full bouquet. But the best part of statice is in it’s longevity; I had fellow gardeners tell me they have bouquets of dried statice that were ten years old and still preserved their beautiful coloring. 

Poppies

Fresh poppies are notoriously difficult as a cut flower - picked at the wrong moment, they “shatter” in the vase, dropping all their petals dramatically within hours. Truthfully, I was only ever able to get the timing right a couple of times last season - they must be picked in the early morning hours, just after blooming, and immediately placed in water. Their stems also leak an unforgiving bright yellow sap that will permanently stain your favorite gardening clothes without a care (ask me how I know). So I found poppies to be best enjoyed fresh in the garden itself, however, the dried seed pods that begin to pop up as the blooms die off in late summer lend themselves to drying very well. The unique shape and neutral brown coloring of these pods means they will look right at home in most arrangements.

Cornflower

They don’t call it cornflower blue for nothing! These small but delightful blue wildflowers will grow with abandon anywhere you can think to spread them. Like their friend the strawflower, they too require careful timing in cutting to dry in order to preserve their coloring and structure. If you are wondering why your dried cornflower has faded or the petals seem to shed just about everywhere, it’s probably because you picked the bloom too late. Cornflower dries best when it is picked just before the bloom fully opens. These small delicate flowers can be tucked in a crown, a small bud vase or bunched together for a wall sash. They tend to be overpowered in arrangements using multiple other flowers, so let these blooms stand on their own if possible.

New England Aster

The wild child of the group, my tiny pink New England Aster flowers offer an autumn finale in the garden, jumping up out of seemingly nothing and taking over for a few short weeks. Each stem branches out with clusters of inch wide blossoms that dry to a deep magenta pink. Though a bit unruly in a vase, I have a soft spot for their unkempt nature and deep coloring with pinks that last through the whole winter season. Easy to grow and requiring no upkeep, they are certainly a worthwhile addition to any garden for the benefits given to pollinators in search of late season food alone.

Goldenrod

This list wouldn’t be complete without the admirable goldenrod. Often confused for its allergy-causing lookalike, ragweed, goldenrod isn’t the reason for your autumn sniffle session. In fact, goldenrod has many medicinal benefits - but that’s another story for another time. Goldenrod’s showy, small yellow blooms are arranged in rich clusters that droop delightfully.

How to preserve dried flowers

Preserving dried flowers is one of the easiest ways to extend your garden season. The most important step begins with ascertaining the best moment to pick your flower based on the breed. After picking, most flowers (aside from larger blooms like sunflowers and roses) may be dried in a similar fashion - tied with string, hung upside down in a cool dry place. The amount of time needed to dry will vary depending on how hot and dry your climate is in that moment and the amount of water within each stem and bloom - thicker stems such as strawflower taking a few weeks to dry while thinner plants such as cornflower drying in just a few days.

How long do dried flowers last

Dried flowers should last anywhere from 3-6 months, with some varieties such as lavender and statice holding their color for a year or more. It’s important to note too that “last” is relative here - since they are dried, they are unlikely to mold or go “bad”, so if you continue to enjoy the look of your dried flowers past their prime, by all means keep them around!

How to store dried flowers

When not in use, it is best to store dried flowers in brown paper bags or cardboard boxes in a cool, dry place.

What to do with dried flowers

With a little imagination, the options are endless. But here are a few of my favorite ways to use dried flowers:

• Door wreaths

• Candle wreaths

• Crowns

• Attached to a barrette

• Displayed in a vase, crock, pitcher or other container

• Bunches on a windowsill

• Bunches hung on a wall

• Bunches tied to your shower head

• Suspended within a glass bottle sealed with a cork

• Flatted between two pieces of glass in a frame

• Cooking - check to be sure they are edible

• Drawer sachets - best for more fragrant blooms

• Potpourri

• Blended into hand poured candles

• Blended into handmade paper

• Blended into teas and herbal steams

Where to buy dried flowers

If you aren’t ready to grow your own flowers for drying, I recommend searching on Etsy for flower growers near you who offer the types of blooms you are looking for.

What varieties will you be growing this year? Comment and let me know!

7 Tips to Survive a Long Winter[Nature Activities]

How to Survive a Long Winter

Winter is a fleeting season for some, but long here in the Northeast. Long enough to require that we adapt and find space in our routines for signals that pass the time, as well as ways to enjoy it for what it is.

New England winters force us to turn inward, to find ways to slog through the darkest days, to connect with nature when that connection is scarce.⁠

They feel like crunchy snow underfoot, stinging wind on your cheek, and the numbing cold in your fingertips, and sound like the patter of sleet on the windows, slush under car tires, and crackling fires.⁠

There is a hush in the air with the sound of insects and busy birds gone from the land, for the time being.

I can smell the snow on the air, and see it building in the dense shapes of the clouds above.⁠

Snow clouds always look a little bit different than regular clouds. There's a slight glow within the deep gray of them that promises nights when snow muffles the sounds outside, ice coats the roof and we say "winter is here" tucked in and insulated from the chill, mugs full of hot chocolate.⁠

Living in a place where winter is the longest season of our year when I don’t particularly love winter has come with its challenges.

My arthritis always is worse during the winter months, leaving me struggling more often with pain and fatigue that limits my ability to enjoy many activities.

I’ve had to find new ways to pass the time - simple, small things that make the winter more enjoyable without pushing myself. But in a way winter has taught me an important lesson; it really is the little things which matter most, which bring us the most light and joy on our darkest days.

We forget this easily, living in a fast paced and unforgiving world that is constantly telling us we need more more more to be happy. Winter does not play this game. Winter knows that pausing and stepping back forces us to focus on the things that really matter in our lives.

We truly begin to absorb the lessons of slow living when winter arrives to wrap us in her embrace.

With winter being so long, finding ways to pass the time and survive this cold and grey season is essential. Here are my top tips for small ways to survive the long winter this year:

#1 Let’s Get Cozy: Snuggle Up

There are a few non-negotiables required to make a home cozy. The first, of course, is blankets. Lots and lots of blankets! I have a bit of a blanket obsession, to tell the truth. I want heavy blankets, wool blankets, knit blankets, and quilts. Having the choice of a few well made, well chosen and well loved blankets is one way I give myself a little gift, an opportunity to feel cared for.

I love to collect blankets from antique stores, thrift stores, and occasionally even friends’ houses, if they are feeling generous! And, of course, there’s not much nicer than knitting a blanket myself on long winter nights.

We drape blankets over every available surface, just in case a sudden chill takes hold. Every chair arm and couch back, plus the ends of our beds, is covered in blankets in the winter. A blanket ladder, cabinet, trunk or chest are some other great ways you can store or display your blanket collection.

Of course, if you find yourself with an overabundance of blankets, there are many people in need who would benefit from your donation, and animal shelters that need a cozy spot for their four legged friends to find a reassuring moment of peace. Although it may be hard to believe from what I’ve written thus far, I do think there is such a thing as too many blankets. The same goes for coats - don’t forget to dig through your coat closet each year and donate any well-loved pieces that you no longer need. No one should go cold in the winter and this is an easy way you can help.

#2 Add warmth with fire

A flame of some sort will instantly bring peace and warmth to your day. Any sort of flame will do. The flickering of a hand poured soy candle on your kitchen counter, a crackling fireplace filled with wood logs, a pellet stove with a glass front or simply some beeswax candles are all good places to start.

When the sun sets as early as three or four o’clock in the afternoon, the warmth of the light, the dancing shadows, and the opportunity to roast marshmallows are all absolutely necessary to a cozy winter. The ambiance of a flame cannot be matched - just be sure to follow all necessary safety precautions with any open flame in your home.

#3: Drink Your Tea

If you’re anything like me, you have an extensive collection of mugs waiting for you to use them in your cabinet. Embrace these colder months by making a habit of enjoying a cup of tea with your breakfast each morning, or before bed. Experiment with different flavors and types of tea, and even different sweeteners and milks. While I lean heavily on green tea with honey and lemon in the summer, in the winter months I prefer chai and rooibos and rich black teas with raw sugar and oat milk.

#4: Read a Book

What could be more reassuring than a stack of books? I set myself a reading challenge this year, but you don’t need to be so structured about it. If you’re having trouble finding time in your day to read, try to find even five or ten minutes at first - there’s nothing wrong with starting small.

Here are some of my favorite book recommendations from what I read this year to add to your own stack:

Wintering: the Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May: I felt this one in my soul. If you are struggling, read this.

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben: Read this book and you’ll never look at trees the same way again!

With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo: I bawled my eyes out reading this book. It isn’t even particularly sad, it’s just that she has a way of making you care about the characters.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer: If you love nature, the outdoors, gardening, etc., this is a must read. On second thought, everyone should read this.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman: This book has a fun twist at the end, and is written by one of my favorite authors. Check out his other books as well!

#5: Use your hands

In the summer it is my feet that guide my activity, padding through the garden barefoot feeling the earth, but in the winter, I lean heavily on my hands.

In winter I am drawn to different sensory experiences, which primarily revolve around fiber + cooking, to keep busy.

I work with my hands to keep my head busy and my heart full. I know this season too will pass, and my thoughts will turn from knit stitches to seedlings and a growing of a different kind. I don’t want to hold my breath until that happens, but rather, enjoy the now.

These pursuits make time stand still even as it seems to whirl past me faster and faster every season.⁠

#6: Get Outside

There is lots to do outside in the winter but so often we forget that there’s no such thing as bad weather – just bad outfits. Gear up to go outside with some wool or fleece-lined leggings, a baklava, alpaca gloves and your favorite wool hat.

Dust of your sled from childhood and find a new hill to careen down, visit a new ice skating rink, take a walk in the woods with your field guide and hunt for animal tracks, put some birdseed on your deck and see what visitors you attract, hike a snow capped mountain or enjoy a quiet night beside a bonfire, wrapped up in one of those blankets you collected earlier and roasting marshmallows.

#7: Experiment in the kitchen

Nothing is more synonymous with winter cooking than baking. As our bodies crave richer foods to keep us warm through the winter season, I try to make a point to experiment in the kitchen with new recipes as well as old favorites. If you’re interested in a baking project, you could try making a spiced gingerbread with whipped cream, pumpkin cookies or sourdough bread. Make soup with whatever you have on hand and freeze some for those nights where you just can’t wait to eat another minute. Use seasonal ingredients such as potatoes, squash, apples, beets, brussel sprouts and carrots. Not every meal needs to be a fancy or extravagant preparation, but cooking from scratch allows you to work with your hands and maybe even learn something new.

Comment below and let me know what your winter essentials are!