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As additional information to the Dried Flower Crafts page, I thought it would be interesting to discover and learn about the different types of flowers available to us around the world. So, with that in mind, throughout the year I will feature a particular state, region or country and highlight the many types of flowers, trees, grasses and natural resources native to the area that can be used in your craft designs.
With more than 3,000 species of flora in the state, a person could spend quite a lot of time just trying to locate them. Some are found only in southern Florida, others in the northern part of the state while other varieties are strictly coastal. Several of these flowers I actually have growing in my yard. I live in central Florida on the west coast of the state and have access to both coastal species and those found in the state park. Currently I have beach sunflower, phlox, periwinkles, Boston ferns and purslane. These flowers are native to the state. If you're interested in flower collecting of other natives or exotics, locating them might require a visit to the park or forest. But a note of caution, before snipping any of the little beauties, be sure you have the proper permission from the Department of Environmental Protection http://www.dep.state.fl.us/ if you are collecting in state parks, national forests or national parks. Many species are endangered and/or threatened and are protected. Here is a small sample of some of the beautiful native flowers of Florida: Anise Hyssop, Larkspur, Beauty Berry, Black-Eyed Susan, Climbing Aster, Milkweed, Narrow leaf Sunflower, River Pinks, Showy Primrose, Scarlet Hibiscus, Pennyroyal, Purple Coneflower, River Oats, Stokes Aster, Tick Seed (Florida's state wildflower), Tropical Sage, Wild Petunias, Wood Sage, Leather leaf and Maidenhair ferns and Sea Oats (protected-do not cut these under any circumstances. In order for you to create a wreath, swag or dried floral arrangement using fresh clippings will require the use of a drying process. Refer to my article "The Art of Drying Flowers" for instructions on the different methods you can use. Many of these flowers are extremely delicate, like the Passion Vine or the Rose Mallow, both unusually beautiful but fragile. Don't be afraid to experiment, the results may surprise you. I have dried the beach sunflower and periwinkles, using the cornmeal method, successfully. Impatiens, and those types of flowers like them, River Pinks, for example, tends to lose their original color and turn almost translucent with a tinge of color. These are perfect for pressed flower projects. Go To Page: 1 2 |
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