Giant poppy seed heads are readily available. With their pretty globe shape topped off with a crown they can easily be spray or hand painted. Their long stems allow for precise snipping into symmetrical and asymmetrical styles.

The common Teasel is a super spiky thistle type seed head, which adds drama when dyed different colours. You can build a whole display around large seed heads like these.

2. Grasses

Pampas grass is now one of the most popular and prevalent dried flowers around. The largest pampas stems can be trimmed before inserting into our Floribana stands.

Smaller grasses such as wild oats, wheat and barley can quickly create a backdrop at little cost. These can be purchased in their natural colour or ready-dyed. Wild oats, in particular, add a delicate texture and movement to a display.

3. Spires and Canopies

 

Long and pointy-shaped seed heads such as Babala or Millet Grass, are ideal for adding height and shape to an arrangement. They often come dyed in a range of dramatic colours, such as rich purples, pinks and greens. Use singly to add spots of colour or in rows for a minimalist look.

The bright yellow Achillea filipendulina or Yarrow, is a dried flower staple. This perennial plant can easily be grown in most gardens in the UK and is readily available from cut flower suppliers. The umbrella of little yellow flowers ride high on a long stem, making a perfect canopy of colour to splash about in a display. With ample stem to adjust the height, this is a truly versatile dried flower.

4. Daisy-like and Dainties

Dainties are more commonly known as fillers in the floral industry. Probably the most well known is Baby's Breath or Gyspophila with its tiny puffs of white/off-white flowers it lends a lacy, feminine feel to a display. 

For more substantial sprays of white, try Pearly Everlasting [Anaphalis] which has yellow daisy-like centres. Another versatile dainty is the Flax plant or Linum, whose roundish buds are dyed both pastels and a range of brilliant hues.

For a bright rosette which keeps it colour, there is nothing better than the Strawflower [Xerochrysum bracteatum/ Helichrysum], which dry extremely well. The stems are often removed and the dried flower heads reattached to more sturdy wire, wood or bamboo stems. This make taller displays possible. 

5. Pom-poms and Fluff

The Craspedia plant, shown above left, produces these smallish golden globes of flowers on very tall stems. They are a great way to add spots of colour into a display. You will also find the balls dyed bright colours such as purple and blue for a more quirky look.

A softer more feminine feel can be added with the aptly named 'Bunny Tails' or Lagurus. This superb grass produces a multitude of soft tufts which are often dyed various hues, making them ideal for matching with interior colour schemes.

6. Palms and Fronds

Palm leaves are a versatile addition to your flower arrangements. The larger specimens such as Chamaerops can be used singly as a backdrop; fronds can also be trimmed such as these palm spears, shown far left, can be used in threes or fives.

These exotic leaves work well in their natural dried form as neutrals, but also look striking when sprayed in metallic colours such as gold, rose gold or copper.

There are also feather-like palms such as the Aricana palm which are usually preserved and then dyed all manner of colours. They have more delicate leaves than many of the other palms.

7. Eucalyptus

There are three common shapes of eucalyptus foliage used in floristry: willow-like long-leaved varieties such as Eucalyptus Nicolii, Eucalyptus Parvifolia and Eucalyptus Exotica]; long sprigs of the Eucalyptus Baby Blue, Eucalyptus Stuartiana and Eucalyptus Espiral, with pairs of thick, leathery leaves; and the flat rounded leaves of Eucalyptus Populus.

 

8. The Colour Brigade

Sea Lavender or Limonium sinuatum sometimes known as Statice, has to be one of the best perennials and biennials to dry. The variety of rich and bright colours including cerise, blue and purple, as well as yellow and white stay vibrant long after they have been cut. The stems are strong as are the buds. A sturdy and reliable flower to fill displays with splodges of colour or more delicate smudges.

Pink and red roses dry well naturally when hung upside down. Use silica gel crystals to preserve the colour of yellows, peaches and more subtle rose colours. Remove blooms from their stems first and reattach with a glue gun.

Dried sunflowers give you bold oranges and yellows, as well as adding scale to an arrangement.

9. Big Blooms

These are the showstoppers. They have colour, size and shape to make a statement. The Banksia Hookeriana (above left) is one of the largest commonly available. Use as a single feature bloom in a small to medium display. 

Proteas have smaller, but no less impressive flower heads. The compact variety, Protea compacta, come in pinks, creams, oranges and reds. They pair well with palms and grasses.

10. Tree & Shrub Branches

Okay, so the last one our list is not a flower. Nevertheless branches are an invaluable element in a dry arrangement. If you have your own garden then branches from shrubs and trees come for free.

Use these to add strong lines to your composition and help to echo the overall shape of display. The ideal building blocks for minimalist arrangements. In fact, we recommend that you start by inserting these into the flower stand first alongside your chosen feature flower or seed head.

Red Dogwood, Cornus sericea and the bright lime-yellow variety Cornus stolonifera Flaviramea, retain a good amount of colour when air-dried. They provide height and structure.

During winter pruning, you can select branches from mature trees as well as side shoots on the trunk. Harvest these, remove any leaves or side growth and air dry. The ash tree is particularly striking as it has prominent bud tips. Fallen branches covered in lichen can be brought indoors and dried too. The colour and texture of these can be used to add interest and compliment other colours in the flower arrangement.

And there you have it! We hope our list has introduced you to some new floral delights and reminded you of some old favourites too.