Dry Arrangements

THERE is a strong fascination in drying, pressing and preservingflowers and leaves, that carries the keen flower arranging enthusiast astep further in the never-ending interest of this artistic hobby. Althoughwe, in Great Britain, are blessed with growing material at almost all timesof the year, there are many who live in towns and cities, who, when flowersare expensive during the winter months, find that a dry arrangement is avery useful standby.

Dry flowers, however, were never meant to take the place of fresh flowersor foliage, but they are certainly timesavers, for they can be made up inadvance and brought out only when needed. In most homes, there isnearly always one place where a permanent arrangement of dry materialcan stand when flowers are scarce or expensive. These arrangements neednot be dull. Whereas a few years ago most dry arrangements were made ofdried fern and seed heads, today some of the most lovely designs are com-posed of dried summer flowers, the colours of which can be preserved byhanging them upside down in a dark dry cupboard.