Dried Flower Arranging 1205787786 The collecting of leaves and flowers, grasses, seed pods, and berries for drying, is a year-round pastime. Since we are not restricted to one season, we can have a vision of countless dried arrangements and be constantly on the lookout for new and exciting material. To all who love adventure this is fun, for it is stimulating to stroll through woods and fields with a definite objective in mind.

Children love to help in collecting, and in so doing develop an awareness of nature. Of course, some things they bring home will have to be discarded, but they need not know it. And it is surprising how soon they enter into the spirit of the hobby. I was amused last summer at my young son's brand new objection to stewed okra for lunch: "It seems to me, Mother, we are eating some of our very best arrangement material!"

Nature offers beauty, but we must seek it out; we must visualize the possibilities in each new and different specimen. Most of us are conscious of flowers in bloom, but we sometimes overlook the possibilities of buds, flowers past maturity, or even the calyx. Working with dried plants makes us aware of the possibilities in stages of growth. Quite different materials can be gathered from the same tree or shrub. As they dry, some of these undergo changes of color, texture, and form. The nandina offers small white blossoms that are lovely with wooden roses, and then brilliant berries equally useful. The blossoms of ligustrum are as pleasing as the berries and both are attractive when dried.




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May 19, 2012