Preserving Dried Coneflower Seed Heads


Truth be told, I like purple coneflower more for their orange-y, perky, prickly seed heads than for the petals themselves...

as do the bees and butterflies apparently.

Consequently when I saw bunches of them selling for ten dollars a bouquet at Whole Foods...

it reminded me to cut and preserve some from my own garden...

a pleasant task, made even more delightful with the companionship of said butterflies and bees. 

(Let's take a moment to appreciate how the orange hues on both match exactly, shall we?)




To help the dried cones last even longer, give them a spritz of spray. Hairspray.

Hold the can about six inches away, making sure you spray the entire seed head...from above and below. Do it several times, allowing them to dry completely in between coats.


I prefer the species, thistle-like cones over the flatter hybridized varieties. More heft and interest in my opinion.

Of course, you could just leave them to dry in the garden...

and drop their seed to ensure future generations of the darlings.




Both the floral AND fauna of your summer scape.





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