Mud Urban Flowers was created in 2017 to fill a gap in the market for fresh, easy to order bouquets. Delivering everything from fresh flowers, bespoke bouquets, daily designs and dried flowers, Mud are an Instagram sensation, delighting customers and followers with their custom designs. Chloe Milligan, Creative Director at Mud, speaks with Karen Millen on why dried flowers are the perfect addition to your home this summer.

Why have dried flowers had such a resurgence recently?

“Dried flowers have become a design staple in many households, with a such vast array of colours and styles available, they are perfect for any home - whether you’re a minimalist or a maximalist. If you aren’t 100% sure what dried flowers are, dried flowers are real flowers that have been preserved to last between 1-3 years.”

What are your key styling tips?

“For the minimalist we recommend sticking with neutral tones, single varieties and deconstructed bouquets. Keep a natural palette using browns, creams, sage greens and sometimes even a hint of mustard or orange. We suggest displaying a cream ceramic vase or a clear glass cylinder vase to keep things simple and clean. Finally, don’t be afraid of deconstructing your bouquet. Split your bouquet up into mini bouquets and sprinkle them around your home. You can use recycled jam jars, milk bottles or vintage vessels to display your stems.

For the maximalist, the best thing about dried flowers is that they come in every colour. This means you can perfectly match or contrast them with your home. At Mud we also offer bespoke bouquets - this means if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for in our current collection, you can design your own bouquet.

How do you care for your dried flowers?

Dried flowers are exceptionally easy to care for. Now that you’ve perfectly styled your bouquet, there’s little else to do, as dried bouquets can last for 1-3 years if looked after properly, which includes keeping them out of direct sunlight and anywhere moist. If they get dusty, simply gently blow on them, using the cool setting of your hairdryer, whilst trying to not move them around too much.

Plus, because dried flowers last longer, with a life of 1-3 years, they are more sustainable than fresh flowers, essentially because they last longer. With fresh flowers – you might purchase these every other week, whereas dried flowers will still look great up to three years later, meaning there’s less wastage.