About Preserving Flowers
After a whirlwind day of marriage vows, pictures and celebrations, the beautiful flowers that helped adorn your wedding day can be preserved so you can look upon them years later. There are a number of ways to preserve your blooms for future enjoyment.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
History
-
1
Flower preservation can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians, who buried their dead with flowers that retained their basic shapes and colors up to their discovery in recent times. The methods of pressing and air-drying became popular in Colonial times when the dried blooms were used in potpourri to cover up offensive odors. The use was continued into the Victorian era.
Significance
-
2
Most people who wish to preserve their flowers, especially after a wedding, want to preserve their memories of the event. The dried or preserved blooms serve as tangible reminders of a day full of happiness. It's also a way of reusing and recycling flowers.
-
Types
-
3
There are different methods of drying out flowers for preservation. Simplest and neatest is pressing, where a single bloom is placed between two objects--such as between the pages of a heavy book, a stack of newspapers or within the pages of a telephone book. Hanging flowers upside-down is also a simple option. More complicated is the use of glycerin--two parts of lukewarm water are combined with one part glycerin. Crush the flower stems and place in the solution for 2 to 6 weeks.
Function
-
4
Flowers, especially those with cut stems, do not last indefinitely; they wilt within days or weeks, depending on the variety. But before that occurs, drying either by air or with chemicals keeps the blooms from decomposing completely, thereby preserving them for a lifetime. The dried flower petals can also be used for decorating your home.
Time Frame
-
5
The time it takes to preserve flowers depends on the method used. Pressing takes anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the composition and the thickness of the bloom. Air-drying necessitates at least 1 to 2 weeks to fully dry, again depending on density and water content of the flower. Chemical preservation, such as the use of glycerin, also takes a number of weeks.
-
1
