Trick Your Brain Into Thinking It's Spring

Dried flower arrangements, a big decor trend of the 1970s that quietly petered out into bowls of potpourri, have made a colorful comeback across homes, weddings, and events in a movement that's both beautiful and sustainable. For florists across the country, preserved arrangements of pampas grass, eucalyptus, and safflowers are a different way to delight customers who already trust their talent for sourcing the best fresh blooms — while maximizing the use of each flower.

"We find that we can get all of the textures and colors of fresh flowers without the heartbreak of having to throw them out in a week or two," says Carla Wingett, who owns California-based Idlewild Floral with her husband, Michael. They began experimenting with drying flowers in 2020, during the early months of the pandemic, when they found themselves with a studio full of cut flowers and no wedding venues to decorate. The couple nimbly decided to dry their supply to make preserved bouquets for Mother's Day and fell so deeply in love with the process of working with dried florals that they decided to open a dried flower shop soon thereafter. "There are also so many new varieties of flowers and colors that they're being preserved in," Wingett says. "These aren't your grandma's dried flowers anymore."

Here are a few of our favorite head-turning dried arrangements to gift (or keep) this year.

Popup Florist

Not only does a portion of the proceeds from Popup Florist's bouquets gotoward providing meals to New Yorkers in need, but also each bouquet isunique, with bunny tails, larkspur, and more, sure to delight for months. popupflorist.com

Urban Stems

Brighten up the shorter, drearier winter days with bursts of yellow and orange broom blooms and strawflowers in a preserved arrangement from Urban Stems, which arrives in a sleek white ceramic vase. urbanstems.com

Idlewild

Idlewild's dried flowers are guaranteed to stay stunning for at least a year after purchase, making a bouquet of lavender or delicate stems of baby's breath the ultimate gift for anniversaries or birthdays. idlewildfloral.com

East Olivia

A mainstay of NYC fashion shows, East Olivia pulls together vibrant arrangements like The Olivia: an everlasting vision in pink bursting with pampas grass, miscanthus, and fluffy bunny tails. shopeastolivia.com

Farmgirl Flowers

Farmgirl Flowers uses a proprietary method to preserve each flower's natural texture. Lavender, teal, and blush hues of eucalyptus and globe thistles shine in the Owl That bouquet, channeling the spirit of winter. farmgirlflowers.com