SIX OF THE BEST plants for dried flower displays

Dried flowers, seed heads and grasses are enjoying a booming Renaissance in our homes. Their long shelf-life and eco-friendly credentials make them ideal for fashioning into wreaths, hand-tied arrangements and table centrepieces.

1. Limonium sinuatum

Commonly known as sea lavender or statice, this easy-to-grow annual is tolerant of a wide range of conditions once established, including drought. Seeds are available in single or mixed colour combinations and should be planted in full sun.

2. Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’

The sculptural flower heads of this eryngium (also called sea holly) make it an ideal material for using in long-lasting arrangements. The plants grow best in sunny sites with poor soil and good drainage. Seeds sown this year will produce foliage, with flowers emerging the following year.

3.The Hydrangeas

large flower heads of hydrangeas age gracefully into various muted colours. Use several to add fullness and structure to your dried floral arrangement, or display single stems in statement vases. This Hydrangea paniculata, ‘Vanille Fraise’, is worth investing in.

4. Helichrysum bracteatum

The strawflower is possibly one of the most popular of the ‘everlasting flowers’, because its colourful daisyshaped blooms, which are supported on strong stems, hold on to their colour for many years.

5. Alliums, poppies and teasels

Opium poppies, alliums and teasels are not only highly sought after by wildlife, but are great additions to almost any garden setting. They produce buff-coloured seed heads in late summer, which add a natural vibe to a dried display.

6. Grasses

Lightweight, ornamental grasses look fabulous with bunches of structural seed heads and colourful dried flowers. Greater quaking grass (Briza maxima), pampas grass (cortaderia selloana), and bunny’s tail grass (lagurus ovatus) – pictured – fill the gaps with their natural beauty.