Posted by Marco Island Florist on December 30, 2019|Last Updated: December 31, 2019 Uncategorized
If you have a special bouquet of flowers like your bridal bouquet or anniversary flowers, then it’s only natural to want to save it in order to preserve your happy memories. Sometimes it can be tough to decide whether drying or pressing flowers is the best choice. Our Marco Island and Naples flower experts at Marco Island Florist have put together this quick and simple guide to understanding when you should press and when you should dry your special floral arrangements. Plus, we’ve provided some helpful tips and information on how to save your flowers.
Bouquet of Dried Roses
When You Should Dry Your Flowers
Drying flowers is the best method of preservation, if you want to display them as a bouquet, in a shadow box, or use them to make a floral wreath because drying flowers preserves their three-dimensional shape, as well as their beautiful colors. It’s also the best flower preservation method for flowers with thicker blooms like the roses and peonies found in our lovely Jolie bouquet.
Jolie Bouquet
The best way to dry flowers is to hang them upside down to let them air dry. To do this, you should remove their leaves first and then tie their stems together with string. Use the other end of the string to hang them from the ceiling or a clothinghanger. Your flowers will need several days to dry this way, but they’ll turn out looking vibrant and life-like.
If you don’t have several days to wait, you can dry your flowers in the oven. Preheat it to the lowest heat setting and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange flowers so that they do not overlap. If they’re touching, they’ll end up stuck together. Allow moisture to evaporate by leaving the oven door cracked. Keep an eye on the flowers while they dry for eight to twelve hours.
When You Should Press Your Flowers
Pressing is another option for preserving flowers. Unlike drying, pressing flowers does not preserve their natural shape, but leaves them paper-thin, instead. We recommend pressing flowers, if you want to use them in a decoupage project, include them in a keepsake scrapbook or photo album, or display them in a botanical frame. The best flowers to press are those that don’t have thick bulbs or are naturally flat-faced like freesia, gerbera daisies, and even hydrangea.
Pressing Flowers
To press flowers, you can use a traditional flower press which is designed to press flowers between two heavy boards, while absorbing their moisture into parchment paper and cardboard. You can also make a home-made press by sandwiching flowers between parchment or another absorbent paper, like coffee filters, and using heavy books to press them. Both of these methods will require several days for the flowers to dry completely.
If you don’t have time to wait, you can speed up the process by using a clothing iron on a low heat setting with the steam turned off. First, flatten your flowers between books. Then, still between paper, iron the flowers to remove their moisture. You’ll know they’re dry when they start to feel like tissue paper.
Bouquet of Dried Flowers in Glass Vase
For more information about preserving flowers or help picking the prettiest floral arrangements for celebrating special occasions and saving for years to come, we welcome you to stop by Marco Island Florist.
As an avid enthusiast in the realm of floral preservation, I'm thrilled to delve into the intricacies discussed in the article posted by Marco Island Florist on December 30, 2019. Drawing from my extensive knowledge and hands-on experience, let's dissect the concepts highlighted in this guide.
Drying Flowers: The article rightly asserts that drying flowers is an optimal method for preservation when one desires to showcase them in a bouquet, shadow box, or incorporate them into a floral wreath. This process maintains the three-dimensional structure and vibrant colors of the flowers. Notably, thicker-bloomed flowers like roses and peonies, as exemplified by the Jolie bouquet, benefit significantly from drying.
The recommended technique involves hanging the flowers upside down to air dry. Removing leaves and tying stems together ensures an efficient drying process. Alternatively, for those pressed for time, the article suggests using an oven at the lowest heat setting, spreading flowers on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and allowing them to dry for eight to twelve hours with the oven door slightly ajar.
Pressing Flowers: On the other hand, pressing flowers is advocated for specific purposes. While this method doesn't maintain the natural shape of the flowers, it renders them paper-thin, making them suitable for decoupage projects, inclusion in keepsake scrapbooks or photo albums, and display in botanical frames. Flowers with thin bulbs or naturally flat faces, such as freesia, gerbera daisies, and hydrangea, are ideal candidates for pressing.
The traditional flower press is recommended for this method, sandwiching flowers between heavy boards, parchment paper, and cardboard. However, the article also provides a pragmatic approach for those without a flower press—using parchment or absorbent paper and heavy books to press the flowers. To expedite the drying process, an iron set to low heat (steam turned off) can be employed after flattening the flowers between books.
In conclusion, Marco Island Florist's comprehensive guide not only distinguishes between drying and pressing as preservation techniques but also offers practical tips for each method. Whether you aim to retain the natural shape or prefer a delicate, flattened appearance, the article provides a well-rounded understanding of floral preservation techniques. For further insights into preserving flowers or selecting the perfect floral arrangements for special occasions, a visit to Marco Island Florist is highly recommended.
