Autumn door wreaths: dried versus fresh flowers

We make two types of autumn wreath: one that uses a mix of dried and fresh stems, and one that's fully dried. They look different, last different amounts of time, and suit different situations. Here's a plain comparison.

The mixed wreath: dried base with fresh blooms ¶

Our standard autumn wreath uses a dried base of honesty seed heads, dried orange slices, and rosehips, with a few fresh chrysanthemum blooms added. The dried elements last indefinitely; the fresh blooms last one to two weeks before they need to be removed. After that, the wreath continues to look good as a fully dried piece.

This is the version we recommend for most people. It has more visual interest than a fully dried wreath when it's new, and it transitions naturally into a dried wreath as the season goes on.

Fully dried wreaths ¶

A fully dried wreath uses no fresh flowers at all. It lasts the entire season without any maintenance and is a better choice if the door gets a lot of direct sun or rain, which would damage fresh blooms quickly. The trade-off is that it has a slightly more muted look when new.

We can make fully dried wreaths to order. The price is the same as the mixed version at ¥6,800.

Practical considerations for outdoor wreaths ¶

Both types do better on a covered porch or under an overhang than on a fully exposed door. Heavy rain will damage dried materials over time, and direct sun fades colours faster than shade. If your door faces south and gets full afternoon sun, a fully dried wreath with more materials (seed pods, cones, woody stems) will hold up better than one with delicate dried petals.

If you're not sure which type suits your door, send us a photo and we can advise. We've seen most door situations at this point.