A few species of leaf and flower that are quite easy to dry and produce an attractive product are roses, violets, carnations, daisies, zinnias, thistle, and hydrangea, to name a few. Some very nice leaves are fern, maple, oak, clover, and Japanese maple. Many towns have plant nurseries that import certain plants if they are not indigenous to your particular locale, or you can have a florist special order your particular plant. Another possibility is your next-door neighbor. Yes, the very neighbor you compete with each year for the honor of best garden for 50 miles.
Many people are quite open to the idea of sharing their garden with others.
Many of these little plant havens are attractively landscaped, and if you can get in good with the gardener, he or she would probably be more than willing to allow you to sneak away with a few clippings. Finally, a veritable treasure trove of flora can be found in the great outdoors. Remember to be on the lookout for more than the local wildlife on your next nature walk. Once you've collected your vegetation of choice, it's time to decide on optimum means of preservation. The first, and probably the simplest method, is hanging.