I am trying to create posies for a historical re-enactment event.

Q.- I would like to use native flowers, trees, & shrubs from our area. I am interested to see if you can freeze dry the following so that they could be made into posies afterward by the event attendees:

• Dogwood( on or off stem),
• azaleas( on or off stem?),
• small pine twigs ( 6 inches in length)
• oak leaves,
• bluebonnets,
• magnolia flowers,
• musk rose,
• jasmine,
• sweet basil,
• ivy,
• dwarf sunflowers,
• carnations, and
• gardenias.

A.- We specialize in freeze-drying flowers and arrangements. Dogwood, Azaleas, Jasmine, sunflowers, carnations and gardenias should freeze dry well, depending on their freshness. The jasmine and gardenias discolor and wilt very easily so they need to be freeze dried immediately. The greenery loses its color when freeze dried due to the extraction of the moisture. Therefore, we enhance the color afterwards.

You said you would want them freeze-dried first and then they will be arranged into bouquets afterward?

I think the only problem with that is the flowers are very fragile and prone to break after they've been freeze-dried and are Not pliable. Some are stronger than others such as the carnations and sunflowers. It is hard to make poesy arrangements with freeze-dried flowers because of the fact that they can break off their stems so easily. It is not impossible, but it takes a lot of practice, time and experience working with freeze-dried flowers.

I'd like to recommend that you have the posies made up first and then freeze-dry them, OR the flowers can be freeze-dried individually and arranged into a vase or bowl instead of binding them together in a poesy shape. Also, mounting the dried flowers in a shadowbox, would make a beautiful decorative piece, or you may, also, rest the dried flowers on a easel.