Start Pressing Flowers this Spring

I’ve been pressing flowers for many years and have picked up a thing or two about the process in that time. But I've always learned from my failures as well.  So if you don't have immediate success, keep trying and have patience.

If you are just starting out pressing there are some basic guidelines to follow. Always choose the best looking, freshest flowers in your garden to work with. The fresher they are the better the color will be coming out of the press. Pick them when they are dry. Putting damp flowers into a flower press is asking for trouble. The more moisture you start with, the harder it will be to dry your collection quickly for best results. Slow drying flowers will promote mold growth and destroy the beautiful color you are trying to preserve. I like to pick flowers in the late morning in my area of the northeast because the dew is usually dried by that time, but the harsh sun has not had a chance to fade the blossoms yet.

I think my first big failure when I first started to press flowers was lilacs. It was such a disappointment to open the press full of dark brown flowers. Trying to press the whole flower stem was obviously the wrong way to go. Thickness and bulk of flowers has a big effect on how they turn out. I prefer to work with flowers that have thinner petals and centers rather than thick flowers. The thicker the flower, the slower it dries, and if you have humid weather to deal with on top of that you will most likely end up opening a flower press full of moldy, discolored or blackened flowers. I break larger flowers down into smaller components. For example, when I press large roses I separate the petals from the center and press them separately. They can be reassembled when you make your creation and the color will be more vivid. Flowers like hydrangea, which have multiple blossoms on one stem, can often be picked apart and individual florets pressed separately. I usually press individual blooms and smaller stems of the panicle or mophead type hydrangeas rather than the entire flower head. I still don’t have good luck with lilac, but so many other flowers do work well that I’m quite happy with what I have to use.

Some flowers just hold color better than others. No big revelation there, but the trial and error involved in finding out which flowers work best is pretty time consuming. Don’t be discouraged if your beginning efforts don’t turn out as you expected at first. This craft will cultivate patience. For the beginner I would suggest some tried and true options. I’m located in zone 4 so if you are in a warmer climate you may have more or different options than I do in my garden. I almost always have good luck with pansies, forget me nots, pink hydrangea, larkspur and delphiniums, buttercup, lavender, and don’t neglect to press some queen Ann’s lace for a nice white. 

Whether you are using a flower press or books, be sure that you do not overfill it. Again, drying flowers quickly matters. I also try to place my presses in a well ventilated area or use a fan to move the air around. I often place my presses out in the sun on a breezy day to speed the process. Don't forget to bring them in at the end of the day as they will pick up dew overnight.

The most important aspect that I have learned from pressing flowers is how to enjoy nature. You will be up close and personal with your garden more often and learn to appreciate the finer details in nature. You’ll notice fragrances, colors, patterns and textures of flowers that previously went unnoticed. You’ll see insects in a different light. You’ll wait patiently for flowers to open so you can pick them at just the right moment to suspend their life and enjoy them later. 

It is so rewarding to sit on a winter day and open a drawer to pick and choose lovely pressed flowers to use in that next special creation. You might even say "I remember the day I picked this one. What a beautiful summer day that was."

So to recap 

• Pick freshly opened flowers
• Make sure your plant material is dry
• Dry as quickly as possible for best results
• Easy-peasy