Geums 'Mrs Bradshaw' Dried

Barn-dried on the farm at Salle Moor Hall — Geum 'Mrs Bradshaw' bunches of approximately 10 stems, each 40-50cm long, harvested at the height of their May-to-July flowering season while the deep scarlet-red flowers are still in full bloom. Wiry, dancing stems topped with the intense double blooms that have made Mrs Bradshaw the most-loved Geum in British cottage gardens for over a century. Rare to find as a dried flower — most Geum sold as "dried" is actually just the seed heads, which is fine but not this.

Mrs Bradshaw is the classic British cottage garden Geum — a scarlet-red double-flowered cultivar of Geum chiloense that's been earning her keep in English gardens since before 1906. What makes her particularly good for drying is the density of the flower: the fully-double form means the flowers hold their structure through the drying process rather than collapsing to a single flat layer of petals. Cut them at the right moment — at peak bloom before the outer petals start to age — and hang them upside-down in the barn until the moisture is gone but the colour is locked in.

A quick note on why we harvest in flower rather than seed. Most commercial "dried Geum" is actually the seed head — harvested after petals fall, valued for the star-shaped burr texture. That's a different product entirely. Our Mrs Bradshaw is harvested at peak bloom because we want the flower itself — the deep scarlet-red double blooms that make the plant desirable in the first place. Different timing, different product, different aesthetic. Both are lovely; we've chosen the harder one.

Barn-dried at Salle Moor Hall, Norfolk. Grown chemical-free on our own cutting field, hand-harvested at peak bloom, hung upside-down in the barn to dry until the moisture is gone but the scarlet colour and doubled flower form are preserved. No air miles, no imported stems, no dyes or preservatives — just good English cottage garden Geums, grown and cared for entirely by us. Seasonal, available while our summer stock lasts.

The dried flowers are perfect for scale-small detail work — wedding buttonholes, wreath focal points, tabletop bud vases, and the intricate corners of mixed bouquets where you want deep colour without size. Where big-headed dried flowers (helichrysum, achillea, hydrangea) demand attention from across the room, Mrs Bradshaw rewards close looking. Each stem is a complete cottage garden moment.

Pairs beautifully with dried oxeye daisies for the classic English meadow contrast (white against scarlet), with dried reed grass for softness against the intricate flower form, and with Bishy's cream Feverfew or lime-green Bupleurum for high-contrast small-scale arrangements. Particularly good in wedding buttonholes — the traditional cottage garden buttonhole flower, and Mrs Bradshaw's scarlet-red brings warmth to any wedding palette.

Handle with care: the stems are naturally thin and wiry, and the double flowers can be delicate around the edges once fully dry. Handle by the base of the bunch, avoid squeezing the flower heads, and keep out of direct sunlight to preserve the scarlet colour for years.