Everlasting Color

Colorful Arrangements
Wreaths are a superb way to use everlasting flowers. They can be large, elegant rings packed with innumerable blossoms or simple vine circles adorned with only one kind. Put a wreath on an interior door, place it above a mantel, or lay it flat on a dining table for a seasonal centerpiece. Hang a small version in a window, on a chair back, or even around a doorknob. This timeless shape adapts effortlessly to a range of sizes, blooms, and styles.

Layering bunches of blooms in a basket is a simple, no-fail way to enjoy everlastings. Find a long, shallow basket, such as those used to harvest vegetables. Choose bunches of assorted flowers, varying blossom sizes, shapes, and colors for an interesting grouping. Include a bundle of dried foliage, such as silver king artemisia, to complete the collection. In arranging lingo, this is called filler. Its neutral shade helps the vibrant and varied floral patchwork look like each bloom was destined to be with the others. Use the filler as the bottom layer, add the largest flowers next, and then place smaller ones on top.

Whether you grow your own or purchase a few bunches, everlasting flowers deliver rich, natural color. Use them in simple decorative ways throughout your home, and consider their great gift potential. Best of all, dried flowers keep your garden from becoming merely a memory.

"Everlasting Color" is from the October 2003 issue of Southern Living.