Dry flowers are very usable year around in arranging, either alone or with real flowers as fillers. I scout the fields and growers in the summer for nice colorful flowers to dry and store in a dark dry closet. If you dry your own, get books of instructions because there are many ways to do it. When arranging dry flowers, use Sahara or dry fine oasis foam. It is very strong. If desired, you can cover this with Spanish or sphagnum moss first. Some branches that have been glycerinized or done with antifreeze (3 water to 1 chemical) adds to the arrangement. To make dried arrangements brighter add real flowers, specially red ones, in water tubes. Follow your usual flower styles with the dry ones. You can dry baby’s breath and German statice by hanging it upside down and using it as a filler.
Flowers for Memorial Services
Memorial services often occur with short notice. My church had always used white flowers and it is a good choice. If I know what the person liked, I will use that instead. At Washington National Cathedral we use the national colors for a memorial service for a foreign person or what they use in their nation. For Chiang Kai-shek we had two standards of 150 Easter lilies each. The king of Norway had blue and yellow flowers around the cross. The cathedral and my parish allow only church flowers. Any others sent privately are placed in the entrance and across the rear of the church. 
