Drying Flowers.

 This summer I got these sweet little weed-like flowers at the St. Norbert Farmers Market. I actually don't know what they're called, so if anyone does, please tell me! I loved the simple aesthetic of them and I knew they would look very pretty when dried. I usually hate keeping flowers, because they wilt and die so fast. I prefer having actual plants, but even then I'm not really good at keeping them healthy, let alone alive! 

I thought if I could keep these in a vase for a while and let them dry up, they'd be with me for a long time with little trouble. I had them in an English porcelain vase my dad got me this summer at a garage sale, mixed in with some roses. The combination of deep red and periwinkle blue was so beautiful. The roses died recently, so I decided it was time to start preserving the them now. 

This weekend I got this vase from 1949 at a garage sale for $1. I love the unique asymmetrical shape, so these unconventional flowers fit in nicely. These flowers are kind of like a dandelion once they've gone to seed, but a lot thicker. They're very similar to a thistle, especially when it comes to it's sharp thorns!

Once when I was younger, my grandmother's neighbour told me if you want to keep weed-like flowers, you have to spray them with an aerosol hairspray. This keeps the seeds in place for years, so they don't fall off as they dry up. It acts as a light adhesive. She had giant seeded dandelions in a vase in her cabin and I remember being so interested in them. Of course I tried this and it worked so well! As I was preparing them, some sections were falling off. I had to leave out one whole bulb, because too many had come off. As soon as I sprayed them, they stayed in place. We'll see what the lasting power is like I guess, but I'm hoping for the best!

It felt like a waste to throw out the pretty bits left over from the broken bulb, so I put them in a small retro Ironstone bowl. I plan on adding a few drops of essential oils to give it some fragrance. And voila! Instant potpourri.

I think I got my moneys worth from these babies. As usual Farmers market flowers can be pricey, but I'm not sorry I splurged on these. They're too pretty and I think I'll be able to hang onto them for a while. Going into Fall now, most of my garden has given up, so I'll just take pleasure in how amazing these will look through the rest of the year.

Marissa xo