As a floral designer, expanding your offerings to include dried and preserved flowers can open up new opportunities for your business, while catering to the increasing demand for sustainable floral options. Many customers are unfamiliar with the benefits and styling possibilities of these long-lasting blooms, making education a key part of the sales process. Here’s how to introduce dried and preserved flowers to your clients effectively.

Highlight the Benefits

Customers often associate flowers with fresh arrangements, so start by explaining why dried and preserved florals are a fantastic alternative.

Key benefits include:

  • Longevity: Unlike fresh flowers, which typically last a week or two, dried and preserved flowers can last months or even years with minimal care.
  • Sustainability: These blooms reduce waste and lower the environmental impact compared to fresh flowers that require constant refrigeration and transport.
  • Low Maintenance: No need for water, trimming, or special conditions, perfect for busy households, event styling, and long-term displays.
  • Versatility: They can be used in everything from bridal bouquets and home décor to retail displays and floral installations.

Offer Visual Inspiration

Customers may not immediately see how dried flowers fit into their aesthetic preferences, so it’s important to showcase their potential. Consider these strategies:

  • Display Arrangements: Create stunning in-store or online displays featuring dried floral arrangements in various styles, from rustic and bohemian to modern and minimalist.
  • Social Media Showcases: Share high-quality photos and videos of your dried floral designs on the likes of Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok.
  • Mood Boards & Lookbooks: Provide styling guides that show how dried flowers can be used in home décor, weddings, and corporate settings.
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Incorporate Dried Flowers into Everyday Sales

A simple and effective way to introduce dried florals into your offering is to start incorporating them alongside your usual designs. For example, mixing dried elements with fresh flowers can add texture and a distinctive twist to traditional arrangements, offering something a little different to regular clients. Petite dried arrangements, such as small posies or single-stem wraps, are also a great entry point, ideal for gifting or retail spaces, they help familiarise customers with the beauty and longevity of dried products without requiring a big commitment.

Another approach is to create a dried flower subscription service, which appeals to clients looking for low-maintenance flower options that still bring style and character into their spaces. These are particularly well suited to customers who want lasting impact with minimal upkeep.

Educate Your Clients

Educating your clients is key to helping them feel confident about choosing dried flowers. Often, hesitation comes from a lack of understanding, so it’s helpful to proactively address common questions and misconceptions. Hosting a short workshop, either in-store or online, can be a great way to show how dried and preserved florals can be styled and cared for at home. You might also consider offering an FAQ sheet or simple guide (printed or digital) that explains how dried flowers are made, what to expect in terms of longevity, and how to maintain their appearance.

Being prepared to answer frequent queries is also valuable; for example, explaining that dried flowers won’t fade quickly if kept out of direct sunlight, or that dust can be removed easily with a soft brush or a quick, gentle blow-dry. This kind of reassurance can go a long way in building trust with customers.

Address Price Sensitivity

It’s not uncommon for customers to initially be put off by the price of dried and preserved flowers, especially when comparing them to fresh blooms. However, by offering context and education, you can help clients appreciate and understand the longer-term value these florals bring. Some of our suggestions are:

  • Break Down the Cost-Per-Use: One of the strongest arguments for dried flowers is their longevity. Unlike fresh flowers, which often last just a week or two, dried and preserved arrangements can last many months, sometimes even years, when cared for properly. Help clients see the bigger picture. While the upfront cost might be higher, the need for frequent replacements is significantly reduced, offering excellent value over time.
  • Emphasise Reusability: Dried flowers aren’t a single-use item. They can be restyled across different seasons, repurposed for new arrangements, or even combined with fresh florals for updated looks. For example, a customer might refresh a dried base with a few seasonal stems for spring or repurpose a wedding bouquet as home décor. This flexibility makes dried arrangements a cost-effective and sustainable investment.
  • Create Tiered Options: Offer a variety of price points to suit different budgets. Smaller bunches, single stems, or mini posies can act as accessible entry points, while larger, curated arrangements serve those seeking statement pieces or premium gifts. This not only widens your audience but also encourages clients to start small and scale up as their confidence with dried florals grows.
  • Highlight Maintenance Savings: Point out the lack of ongoing care costs, e.g., no need for flower food, water changes, or regular replacements. This is especially beneficial for businesses or busy households, where the low-maintenance nature of dried arrangements adds further value that fresh flowers can’t always offer.
  • Support with Visuals: As mentioned earlier in our article, displaying examples in your shop or portfolio can help customers see how dried flowers can evolve through the year with minimal additions. Seeing the adaptability and charm over time can often be the most persuasive tool for hesitant customers.

Stay Ahead of Flower Trends

Dried and preserved flowers have moved well beyond being a passing trend. However, keeping up with shifting interior styles and customer tastes will help ensure your offerings stay fresh and relevant. A few key areas to keep a close eye on:

Colour Palettes

While soft neutrals, dusky pinks, and muted pastels remain core favourites, there’s growing interest in richer, moodier tones. Think burnt umber, mocha brown, and olive green, alongside optimistic hues like buttery yellows and peach. Monochromatic arrangements using a single striking shade are also seeing a rise, offering a modern, curated look.

New Applications

The versatility of dried florals continues to inspire. Clients are increasingly using them in unexpected ways, such as incorporating dried elements into wall hangings, table installations, or even wearable pieces like buttonholes and floral crowns (particularly popular for ethereal or boho themed weddings and events!). These creative uses not only showcase the textures of dried blooms but also broaden their appeal beyond vase arrangements.

Seasonal Refreshing

Just like fresh florals, dried arrangements benefit from seasonal updates. Rotate your display with the calendar, dried grasses and sun-bleached tones for summer, rusts and terracottas for autumn, and soft whites with touches of preserved greenery for winter. This keeps your stock feeling current and helps clients visualise how dried flowers can work all year round.

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Conclusion

Bringing dried and preserved flowers into your offering isn’t just about expanding your product range, it’s an opportunity to educate, inspire, and align your business with the growing shift towards sustainable, long-lasting floral design. By clearly communicating their benefits, offering approachable styling ideas, and making them visible through displays and promotions, you can ease clients into this lovely floral alternative.

Start with a few key products, experiment with how you present them, and listen to customer feedback. Over time, dried and preserved flowers can become not just an addition, but a standout feature of your floral business.