I have discovered that dried flowers are everlasting flowers. In the late 19th century, les immortelles—flowers grown specifically for drying—were used to create bouquets d'hiver, seasonal arrangements to brighten the winter months.

Air drying is the simplest way to preserve blooms. Roses, lavender, and hydrangeas dry especially well. Just hang them upside down in a dry, dark place. Flowers can also be dried flat on racks, upright-dried, garden-dried, or oven-dried. The best time to harvest them is when they’re about halfway to three-quarters open.

"Ah, the smell of flowers. I've just put flowers in a vase," praised writer Helen Caldicott. "The meaning of life is the flowers in the vase."

Gathering and pressing blossoms is a romantic, magical tradition—a way to hold a memory and capture a moment forever. Thin petals press best. Oak and maple leaves, poppies, and pansies are excellent choices. Pressed flowers create beautiful cards, pictures, and keepsakes like decorative frames or candles.

In a passionate celebration of blooms, writer Iris Murdoch once said, “People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.”