| The practice of preserving flowers has been | | | | by some weight. This ensures that the pigments |
| around since colonial times. Flowers can be | | | | are not lost and the color is retained. Violets, |
| preserved in different ways such as air drying and | | | | pansies, larkspur and ferns preserve well when |
| pressing, or using various drying agents such as | | | | pressed in this manner. These dried flowers can |
| sand, homemade mixtures or silica gel. | | | | be arranged in framed displays. |
| Some flowers such as baby's breath, globe | | | | Sand is also used as a drying agent to preserve |
| amaranth, cattail, and strawflower can be dried by | | | | flowers. With sand drying method, prior to |
| simply hanging the stems upside down in a dark, | | | | preserving flowers the sand is washed thoroughly |
| well-ventilated area. This method, known as | | | | with dishwashing detergent. It is then dried. The |
| air-drying or the "hang and dry" method is one of | | | | sand used should be very fine and salt-free. In |
| the oldest methods used for preserving flowers. | | | | this method, sand is placed in a container, and a |
| The darkness helps retain the color of the | | | | small amount is scooped out to form a |
| flowers. However, it has been observed that blue | | | | depression. The flower is placed in this depression |
| and yellow flowers retain their color whereas pink | | | | and sand is pressed around to support the flower. |
| flowers fade when dried using this method. | | | | Each petal is covered with sand ensuring that their |
| Some chemicals like glycerin are also used to | | | | shape is retained. The flowers when dried should |
| preserve flowers. "Bells of Ireland" is one | | | | be placed in cartons to prevent them from |
| specimen that shows good color variation when | | | | breaking. |
| preserved this way. | | | | Fresh flowers form a part of many a memorable |
| Pressing is another technique used for drying | | | | events and preserving these flowers is one way |
| fresh flowers. Flowers are neatly straightened and | | | | to preserve the memories of these special |
| kept between sheets of paper and pressed over | | | | occasions. |