The dried flower trend, market developments, and competition with large flower suppliers. Olga Zotova, the founder of the "Gerbariy" dried flower family farm opens the curtains of the world of the fashionable floral material.

— How did you get started with the dried flowers business?

— It was not spontaneous, we gradually moved towards the business. We started selling several bunches at the craftsmen's fair and then we added bouquets to the mix. The bouquets were amateur, and I realized that I needed to learn how to do the spiral technique, so began my studies. Then there were no big sales turnovers, everything was at a nonprofessional level. It was difficult to find dried flowers for bouquets, so I asked my mother to plant flowers for me.

In 2017, there was a large harvest of helichrysum. I could not manage to sell so much, so decided to offer the florists some of the dried flowers to use as a material for work. It got wildly popular!

When we realized that there was a demand, my mother decided to quit her job. Our yearly goal is to increase the sowing area.

— Why did you choose to sell dried flowers and not fresh-cut ones?

— I personally like dried flowers more. It was actually a childhood hobby of mine. Plus fresh flowers require a ton of responsibility: money, shelf-life. And dried flowers are more convenient in this regard.

— Why did dried flowers get so popular a couple of years ago, and why do they remain popular?

— Dried flowers are very convenient, they last for at least a year. Lagurus captivates many with its fluffiness, it's cute and has a smell like lavender, which is associated with Provence.

Moscow was first to jump on the trend, then the regional florists followed along and began using the dried flowers. The market is growing and developing.

— What are dried flowers used for?

— It's the same as fresh-cut flowers: for weddings, interior, birthdays. Businesses order dried flower compositions for decoration.

We once decorated a cafe for children - there were vases and baskets with dried flowers.

— What is the process of creating dried flowers?

— The growing process is no different from other plants, but there are nuances in the harvesting process. The flowers are cut at a certain stage of growth. Each plant has its own.

The drying process takes place in a dark room, flower bunches must be secured. Bunches hang flower-heads down. The room temperature should be moderately warm, humidity should be low, ventilation should be good. Flowers must not be dried under the sunlight.

Some flowers are sold without a stem, so they are dried horizontally.

Drying time depends on the temperature and the size of a flower and bunch. Approximately two weeks are needed. Each bunch must be checked whether it is ready or not.

— What plants can become dried flowers?

— In general, you can dry everything, but the end result may be disappointing. Some flowers lose their shape when dried.

Certain types of dried flowers are used in floristry. These flowers do not lose their shape, color and can be further dyed if needed.

— Is it possible to make good money on dried flowers?

— Of course! We are actively developing and reinvesting in our business. I can confidently say that our business pays off. Right now the farm is the main source of income for my mother and me. We can already afford additional hires for weeding and harvesting.

— How do you compete with big companies?

— I don't think we compete much. A lot of florists that use dried flowers do not have the opportunity to purchase material from large suppliers, so they order from us.

We also try not to overlap in assortment. The popular lagurus in the right shade of color is not always found in a large flower base.

We try to keep the price tag from the beginning to the end of the season. Big flower bases are influenced by the exchange rate, so prices change during the season.

There are still few farmers like us. There is not enough material to cover all the demand, so we do not feel any hard competition.

— Are dried flowers an exclusive product in floristry?

— There are very few suppliers on the market: only specialty stores and farmers. The latter requires experience and knowledge of agricultural and flower farming.

— Where can I learn how to create dried flowers?

— Nowhere at the moment. The main teacher is personal experience. It is advisable to practice on small crops to understand the process better.

It is good to choose plants that feel better in your local climate. For example, we do not grow cotton, because it simply does not have time to mature in our conditions. But in the heat of Kazakhstan cotton would feel great.

A lot of information on growing can be found in open sources.

We also focus on foreign flower farms. One of such is in the Netherlands. We peeped what tools they use, how they dry the plants.

— Do you think dried flowers are a passing trend or will they gain a foothold in the market?

— Five years ago, everyone thought that interest would pass in a couple of years, but this has not happened yet. The popularity of dried flowers is only growing. Perhaps now there is a boom that will decline. But I am sure that the dried flowers trend is here to stay.

Some dried flowers may become more popular, and some vice versa. It's a matter of fashion, so to speak.

— Dried flowers and cut flowers - can they exist together in a bouquet?

— I've never arranged such a composition, but those who did were not pleased. Live flowers should be placed in water, but dried flowers cannot tolerate water.

If this is a single day bouquet (for example, a wedding decoration), then this combination will work. And for the long term, I recommend choosing one.

— How to choose dried flowers?


— Look at the quality of the flower. It is nice to look at, feel it. Keep in mind that some dried flowers are very fragile and break quickly - they are overdried or the plant itself is fragile in nature.

— How does one take care of the dried flowers?

— There are three basic rules.

Firstly, do not put them under bright lighting (sun, lamp) - this way they quickly lose color saturation. The darker the place, the better.

Secondly, try to remove dust with a hair dryer on a low cold setting. This will also help keep the color of the plants longer.

Thirdly, low humidity. It is not recommended to put dried flowers in the bathroom or vice versa next to heating appliances. Better to keep a balance.

— Have you already planned out your farming future?

— First of all, we plan to increase the area of cultivated land and harvest larger volumes of dried flowers, so that the stock is enough for the whole season.

We want to delegate part of growing, harvesting and sorting work to our employees, so that we can pay more attention to organizational tasks and improve the quality of service. At the moment, we don't have enough time for this.

There are also plans to enter the international market. Requests come from the USA, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Germany and other countries. But so far there are not enough dried flowers even for the Russian market.