For a long lasting memory, or how to preserve dried flowers

Dried flowers are a good way to preserve the beauty of natural material for a long time.

Convenient and practical drying of flowers allows you to save individual plants or their fragments, as well as entire bouquets.

We'll tell you how to preserve dried flowers in this article.

Is it possible to keep dry plants at home?

Dried natural material has a long shelf life if properly maintained. After the moisture evaporates, the plants remain beautiful, but become more fragile. They should be handled carefully to avoid accidental damage.

What factors affect shelf life?

The length of time flowers are stored in a dry state is influenced by many factors. The main ones include the following:

• air temperature;
• humidity level;
• illumination;
• chemical composition of the environment;
• preparing the plant itself for drying;
• plant type;
• the original state of the flower, etc.

Around the plant, from the beginning of growth until drying, there is a certain environment that affects both the growing flower and then the dried one.Compounds that a plant comes into contact with can maintain, degrade, or enhance its appearance.

How long should dried bouquets be stored?

Almost all dried flowers have an unlimited shelf life. When properly dried and stored under suitable conditions a dry bouquet or herbarium can be kept for years, practically without losing its appearance.

The shelf life is significantly influenced by compliance with the rules during drying.

Conditions

Compliance of storage conditions with all rules is very important for extending the storage time of both individual dried flowers and entire bouquets.

Place

When choosing a place to store dried flowers, you need to try not to expose them to direct sunlight. Such exposure can increase the fragility of dried flowers, and will contribute to the fading of bright colors. As a result, the bouquet will lose its decorative effect.

The location of the composition should be well ventilated, but without drafts or sudden changes in conditions.

Temperature

For most specimens used to decorate everyday life, The best storage conditions are room temperature, not too high.

An exception may be dried plants that are needed for laboratory scientific research.

Even short-term freezing of the material should not be allowed, as this can lead to irreversible consequences.

Humidity

For dry plants It is very important that the air humidity is low, and there was no water nearby.This will prevent the flowers from absorbing moisture and they will be better preserved.

Methods

There are several possible options for organizing flower storage. The choice depends on the condition of the plant, the method of drying, etc.

Boxes

When transporting a dried bouquet or needing to keep the arrangement in a closet, you can use boxes. The best option is cardboard containers. This packaging material is breathable, and you can keep dried flowers in it for quite a long time.

Additionally, parchment or other paper is usedso that plants do not move freely inside. If the box is large enough and space allows, it can accommodate more than one bouquet. Each of them is separated by parchment.

This method is especially suitable for compositions that were air-dried under natural conditions (in a vase, suspended by stems, etc.). If plants are dried by hanging, then it is desirable that the bunches hang freely, without touching each other or foreign objects. In this form, the flowers dry completely in 2-4 weeks and can be used as dried flowers.

During the process, care should be taken to ensure that mold does not form in the container. To do this, periodically, when the buds begin to dry out, the stems should be trimmed.

It is also possible to use boxes with adsorbent materials, for example, silica gel. At the same time, the flowers retain their volume and texture, so the box should be quite spacious.

Sheets of paper

Drying and further storing flowers between sheets of paper is one of the popular traditional methods. This option is suitable for not too large and bulky plants.

If the stems are too thick, they are cut or cut in half before drying. Leaves and petals must be straightened. In this form, the plant is placed between two sheets of white paper inserted into a book and a press is provided.

This drying method has its own characteristics:

1. Do not use paper towels or other papers with a pronounced texture, as the texture will be imprinted on the petals and leaves.
2. The best paper choice is to use printer sheets.
3. When laying out fresh plants, it is necessary to leave enough free space between them, since under the action of the press the flowers will straighten out and occupy a larger area than initially.
4. Place wax paper on top of the flowers.
5. After the plants are arranged, the book is carefully closed. And other books are added on top to increase the pressure created.

The duration of the drying period is on average 15-30 days. During this time, the press should not be removed. Such flowers can be left lying in a book, or can be used in crafts and panels.

Between the fabric

Cotton fabric can also be used for drying flowers. The principle of organizing the process is the same as when using white paper.

In addition, gauze and light cotton cloth are used when drying medicinal plants such as chamomile.In this case, the flowers are laid out on the material in one layer and protection from insects is arranged on top of the fabric.

The video will show you how to preserve dried flowers:

How can you not?

When organizing the storage of herbariums and dry bouquets It is necessary to avoid such common mistakes:

• being in a draft;
• exposure to direct sunlight;
• careless handling of material;
• increased air humidity.

How to dry them so that they retain their color and shape forever?

To better preserve the color shade and texture, When drying, it is recommended to adhere to the following expert advice:

1. If only the flower heads are to be dried, they should be cut off as soon as they bloom.
2. If only parts of flowers, for example petals, will be used for compositions, then it is advisable to separate them before drying.
3. For better storage of cereals, they can be lightly sprayed with varnish.
4. If the plant has a fragile stem, you can insert wire into it in advance to strengthen it.
5. Plants need to be dried as quickly as possible after cutting - this will preserve the brightness of the colors and the shape of the plant.
6. If the flower head is fragile, you need to cut it off, leaving another couple of centimeters of the stem.
7. Do not dry wet flowers as this may affect the results.

Conclusion

Storing dried flowers does not require much effort or regular care.With proper organization, from the selection of fresh flowers to the subsequent maintenance of ready-made dried flowers, it is only necessary to adhere to the agreed conditions in the location of the plants.