Best flowers to press

What Flowers Are Good for Pressing? | Home Guides

By Maureen Malone Updated March 10, 2021

The best flowers to press are those that are already naturally flat, such as violets (Viola sororia), which are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 7. Other factors to consider include the color of the bloom and whether or not the flower has an obvious stamen.

Tip

Naturally flat blossoms are the best flowers for pressing. However, you can press nearly any type of flower you desire.

Best Flowers to Press

When selecting flowers for pressed flower art, consider how you want the end result to look. Flat flowers are the easiest and are usually the best flowers for pressing. In addition to violets, which have blue or lavender flowers, another great option is clematis (Clematis spp.), which is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 and comes in several colors, including white, blue, pink and burgundy, advises North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.

Pansies (Viola tricolor), which feature yellow, orange, cream, blue or purple blossoms, and sweet alyssum flowers (Lobularia maritima), which feature yellow or cream-colored flowers, are also good for pressing. They are hardy in USDA zones 2 to 9 and 5 to 9 respectively, according to North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.

Harvest healthy, attractive flowers without any blemishes in the morning after the dew has dried, advises the University of Vermont Extension. Consider gathering some herbs, grasses or other foliage to enhance your design.

Other Flower Considerations

You can dry and press any flower with some extra time and attention. Thicker flowers and stems will take longer to dry. If you plan to display the dried flowers in a thin frame, these flowers may present additional challenges and may be too thick to fit.

You can also take apart larger double flowers, such as some roses (Rosa spp.), which are hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9 depending on the species. You can press the individual petals to recreate the similar appearance of the original flower.

Consider how the colors will appear when the flowers have fully dried. Oranges and yellows typically hold their color well during the process, notes the University of Vermont Extension. Red flowers may dry into a muddy brown color. Other lighter colors, such as pink, blue and violet, may offer good color initially, but they are more likely to fade over time.

How to Press Flowers

You can purchase a flower press kit from your local crafts store or simply use the items you have on hand to complete the project. Place the flowers on a piece of printer paper, newspaper or facial tissues. This material is in place to help absorb moisture, so avoid material that retains moisture, such as wax paper. Don't use paper towels or other textured material that can leave an unwanted pattern on your flower petals.

Cover the flowers with another layer of absorbent paper. Next, cover the flowers with a heavy book or if you prefer, place the flowers between the pages of a large book. Consider placing a brick or another heavy object on the book to increase the pressure on the flower.

Check on the progress after approximately one week and add fresh paper to absorb moisture if needed, advises the University of Maryland Extension. Then, replace the book and allow the flowers to dry for another two to three weeks. The specific time needed will vary depending on the thickness and moisture content of the flower and the amount of moisture in the air.

References

North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension: Lobularia maritima
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension: Clematis

Writer Bio

Maureen Malone has been a professional writer since 2010 She is located in Tucson, Arizona where she enjoys hiking, horseback riding and martial arts. She is an outdoor lover who spends her weekends tending her raised garden and small orchard of fruit trees.

7 Best Flower Pressing Supplies 2020

7 Best Flower Pressing Supplies 2020 | The Strategist

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

7 items in this article 1 item on sale!

Photo: Kate Cadbury

Over the past few weeks, many of us have been on the hunt for things to keep our hands occupied, so as to avoid frantically scrolling through Twitter. In order to provide suitably engaging suggestions (that’ll yield genuinely successful results), we at the Strategist have consulted a slew of experts on everything from how to bead a bracelet (according to designer Susan Alexandra), to advice for the novice needlepointer (by way of Parker Posey, noted needlepoint obsessive). After spotting London-based artist Kate Cadbury’s beautiful pressed violets and daisies on Instagram, we decided to ask her how to properly press a flower. Cadbury, it turns out, has been pressing flowers for most of her life — she walked us through which flowers to use, and exactly what you’ll need (a lot of the supplies, as it turns out, are things you might already have at home).

Giant Pansy Viola Flower Mix Color 200 Seeds

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The best flowers to press are ones that have only a single layer of petals. For example, pansies and violas have just the two or three petals to form the flower head — those will take the shortest amount of time to press, as little as two weeks. Daisies work well, too. These are also all plants you could grow in a window box, if you live somewhere without much outdoor space. If you’re pressing cut flowers, you could try using an anemone, which come in different varieties of colors — you can also try pressing the petals of roses. How much color the flowers will retain after pressing depends on how long they’ve been in bloom. The best flower to press is one that literally just opened up; one that’s been in bloom for a few days will be less vibrant. The fresher the plant, the fresher the color.

Aunt Martha’s Replacement Blotters

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To press the flowers, you make a little stack, almost like a sandwich. You put a heavier piece of cardboard on the bottom, and then at least five sheets of newspaper on top of that. Then put down a layer of blotting paper to absorb any extra moisture from the plant. I personally like to put a piece of parchment paper on top of that, because the petals become so delicate and fine when they’re pressed that when you open the press and take them out sometimes they’ll tear — parchment paper is oil resistant and waxy, so it helps the petal glide right off. On top of the flower, put more blotting paper, newspaper, and cardboard, and then put the “sandwich” in your press. I tend to leave the plants in the press as long as possible, three weeks to a month. And I try not to peak because that only disturbs the process.

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I’ve made my own flower presses that are 20-by-20 inches because I wanted to press bigger species of plants. However, smaller flower presses are more than fine for most small blooms, and are readily available online. If you don’t want to buy a flower press, you really can just your “sandwich” in the middle of a heavy book on top of the stack you’ve made. I like to then put the book back in my bookshelf and forget about it — that way, one day I know I’ll take the book out, and lo and behold, the pressed petals will fall out. I quite like the magic in a moment like that.

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One of Cadbury’s pressed poppies. Photo: Kate Cadbury

I think receiving something in the post is a lovely thing, especially now during this time when we’re at home and isolated, and you wanted to be connected to those you aren’t seeing. Once the pressed flowers are done, you can take your flower and glue it to a bit of card stock — most clear, waterproof glues will work. Just be careful to add the glue sparingly and carefully, as the tackiness can pull the petals (remember, once the plant is pressed it’s very delicate). What’s really special about flower pressing is that lots of people buy and give bouquets of flowers for holidays and birthdays, but preserved flowers last forever — they can be framed and treasured.

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How to Press Flowers, According to a Flower Artist

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Top 10 Plants for School – Planting Classrooms Smartly

Flowers are undoubtedly a universal decoration of any room. They are able to make any room cozier, brighter, more comfortable, more original. And you must admit that this is very important, especially if you spend a lot of time in this room, for example, like our children in school classrooms throughout the school year.

Moreover, well-chosen plants can even heal the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide, producing oxygen, increasing air humidity and releasing useful phytoncides.

What are the best indoor flowers to choose for the classroom and school? The question is not as simple as it might seem at first glance - did you know that there really are plants that are prohibited for placement in school premises?

Among the flowers that according to SanPiN are not recommended to be kept at school, those that can be dangerous for children, especially small ones - first of all, these are poisonous plants (nightshade, dieffenbachia, spurge, ficus, zamiokulkas, oleander) and prickly (all types of cactus). It is also not recommended to place in large numbers in classrooms brightly smelling plants like geraniums, eucharis and lilies, whose aroma is quite capable of causing a headache, or even an allergy attack.

What kind of plants are recommended to be placed in children's institutions? Yes, almost all the rest - it is only desirable that they are not too capricious and whimsical to care for, because it is unlikely that they will be given increased attention and special conditions will be created in a public space.

To your attention a dozen of such popular and unpretentious indoor flowers, which are perfect for landscaping a school office.

Chlorophytum

This perennial herbaceous shrub with hanging narrow leaves, which can be either plain green or striped, white-green, has been holding the lead among unpretentious plants for public spaces for decades. It grows very quickly, reproduces easily, does not require any special conditions for existence, except for abundant watering in the heat, prefers bright diffused light, but is quite capable of existing in partial shade. And most importantly - chlorophytum perfectly cleans the air.

Aloe

And many people love this plant for its exceptional unpretentiousness - even in summer it is enough to water it once a week. In conditions of bright diffused lighting, a sufficient amount of heat (not lower than 10-15 ° C) and access to fresh air, aloe will delight the eye all year round with its "plump" green or variegated leaves, diverging from the center with a volumetric rosette. And if you feed the plant with special fertilizers for succulents, it can even bloom indoors.

Sansevieria (pike tail, mother-in-law's tongue)

Another popular succulent, sansevieria, is also almost impossible to kill. She will feel great even in the shade - direct sunlight is rather contraindicated for her - and with rare watering. Air humidity and soil composition are also insignificant for her. So that the wide leaves of the plant do not become a "dust collector", they should be regularly wiped with a damp cloth.

According to NASA's "Clean Air" study, sansevieria is able to actively absorb a number of toxic substances from the air, in addition to carbon dioxide, while releasing oxygen.

Asparagus (asparagus)

Yes, this "openwork" green bush, which many consider to be something like a fern, belongs to a completely different family, class and even plant division! It may be interesting for schoolchildren to know that this unpretentious and fast-growing ornamental leafy culture is a direct relative of garden asparagus, which many have tried in salads or garnishes. In vertical and cascade gardening of premises, asparagus pinnate, dense-flowered Sprenger and Meyer are most often used.

Begonia

There are more than a thousand species of begonia, so you will certainly find among these beauties those that are suitable for each specific room - you can choose according to the size of the plant, the shape and color of the flowers and leaves. The ampelous forms of tuberous begonias are the most loved by flower growers, although bush begonias look no less impressive in flowerpots and flowerpots. These plants are absolutely undemanding in care - diffused light or partial shade, timely watering and normal room temperature. By the way, begonias are also excellent air purifiers.

Fuchsia

Fuchsia is unpretentious, grows quickly, blooms profusely, for a long time and unusually (bicolor "bells" of various shades), has a variety of forms (shrub, tree-like, with erect stems and drooping) - which is not an ideal plant for a school office. The main thing in growing this crop is to provide it with diffused lighting and protect it from cold drafts. In spring, fuchsia can be cut back for more lush subsequent flowering.

Lemon

Unpretentious citrus is easy to grow even from a stone, it blooms beautifully with small white flowers twice a year, and with good care it can please the owners with golden fragrant fruits, the formation and development of which is very interesting to watch.

The plant prefers indirect light and moderate regular watering. When the tree lays buds, it is important not to overheat it on the windowsill (the temperature in the room should not be higher than 18-20 ° C), put the pot on the shelf. The culture is very responsive to feeding.

Scindapsus

Scindapsus is an unpretentious and fast growing ornamental vine with glossy heart-shaped leaves (you can choose green-leaved varieties or those with showy silver spots on the foliage). Most often it is used for vertical gardening, but you can also place a flower on the windowsill as a bush that needs regular pruning. The culture can grow in a dark place, unpretentious to temperature conditions, but does not like drafts. Also, the plant will not refuse spraying, especially in winter, when the air in the room is too dry and warm.

Tradescantia

If you need to find a plant for a shady corner of the classroom, pay attention to tradescantia - another extremely unpretentious and hardy indoor plant. This herbaceous evergreen perennial ("green" is just a name, many varieties of tradescantia with purple, striped and spotted leaves are now bred) looks great in hanging planters and ordinary pots, and only regular watering is required from care. If you want the shoots to branch more actively, pinch their tops regularly.

Crassula (ovoid crassula, money tree)

This elegant succulent bush with voluminous "coin" leaves loves good lighting, so place it close to the window, but not in direct sun, otherwise the foliage will burn. Otherwise, fat women are unpretentious - they only need moderate watering and a couple of complex top dressings per season. If you want the bush to remain strong and branch well, do not put it in the shade, do not overwater the plant and protect it from sudden changes in temperature.

Of course, this is not a complete list of those plants that can be settled in a school class. You can pay attention to myrtle, hibiscus, violets, aichrizon, aspidistra, ivy, dracaena... natural classroom lighting.

Artificial flowers and plants in the interior and garden: is it possible to keep, why are they needed, how to choose

Our dislike of artificial plants did not develop overnight. Therefore, the road in the opposite direction is long and bumpy in places. But it's worth going. After all, textile ficuses, silk grasses and stabilized roses give us a lot of design opportunities - both private interiors, business projects, and urban gardening. It remains only to discard prejudices.

ADesign

1. Artificial plants are soulless. Artificial flowers in the apartment is a matter of personal preference. But how much natural, authentic and original surrounds you in modern life? After all, the landscape on the wall is fake nature. But this does not prevent us from hanging a picture on the wall and considering it an interior decoration. Of course, only natural flowers are suitable for a date, but in all other cases, in our opinion, options are possible.

2. Artificial flowers - for the cemetery. Many do not know whether it is possible to keep artificial flowers at home, they believe in various signs. The thing is that fresh flowers are still a luxury for us. That is why we come to the wedding of friends with real roses. And we go to the deceased relatives with textile ones - bright and affordable, which will easily stand until our next arrival. Hence the persistent association with artificial flowers, "not created for the living. "

3. Artificial flowers - poor quality. Not always. Plants are made both for retail and for the needs of professional decorators. Their price is approximately the same, but the quality is incomparably different. The trouble is that boxwood or designer lavender can only be seen at exhibitions or in a showroom. And low-quality cyclamen bushes are also found in chain stores of household goods and in floristic salons. They form a false idea about the quality of artificial flowers.

Natalia Preobrazhenskaya | Bureau "Uyutnaya Kvartira"

Try the difference
It's hard to believe, but good quality artificial plants are difficult to identify even by touch, they are so similar to the real ones!

Modern technologies, high-quality materials, the use of preserved natural fragments, as well as the complete identity of the "botanical prototype" allow you to create surprisingly believable artificial flowers.

Kate Jordan Photo

What artificial plants are made of
Modern equipment allows you to create the impossible - in the yard is the age of digital 3D printers. In addition, the durability of artificial plants implies the willingness of the client to pay more, which means that the manufacturer can use the best raw materials.

Artificial flowers for floristry are often made by hand, which makes a big difference whether they are made in a Chinese factory or in tiny private manufactories like the German flower shop shown in the picture.

Artificial = plastic?
No, artificial flowers are made from different materials. It doesn't have to be plastic. Moreover, these are not even always “flowers”. Each type of material has its own strengths and, as a result, its own scope.

1. Plastic - for the garden and the street (bushes, trees)
Artificial plastic "boxwoods" are difficult to distinguish from natural ones, especially if they are placed in an unusual place (garden and lawn are strongly associated with live plantings). Take advantage of it!

Somfy Systems

The crowns of trees (citrus fruits, arborvitae, ficuses), shrubs (balls of laurels, boxwoods) are reliably formed from plastic, sometimes they are used for the stems of potted plants like cyclamen or spray roses. It is plastic models that can stand on the street all year round, are resistant to ultraviolet radiation, frost and temperature extremes. Plastic is the easiest to care for: it is easy to wash a boxwood ball with a diffuse jet from a hose and dip it into a bucket or basin of water. The temperature can be from cold to quite hot - 60-70°C. For heavy soiling, you can add a little liquid detergent.

By the way: Artificial trees, standard boxwoods or roses often contain natural elements - a tree trunk or branches. They are prepared and processed in a special way, so they do not require any additional care.

Bureau of Alexandra Fedorova

Fact: Each model is an exact copy of a living plant at different stages of growth. An ornamental tree, like its living prototype, has the same height, crown splendor, size and color of leaves. Even the growth stage of the tree is conveyed as plausibly as possible: young leaves differ from old ones not only in size and shape, but also in the intensity of the pigment. Here you can describe for a long time, but in reality you still experience a shock when you first see a high-quality analogue.

Kate Jordan Photo

2. Textile - for the interior (flowers, bouquets)
Potted, ampelous, "cut" flowers are usually made from textiles. As a rule, they take a durable synthetic material with persistent staining. The fabric gives the flowers a delicate natural look, but implies use in the interior. First, in the sun, textiles are likely to lose pigment if the manufacturer does not claim UV stability.

Secondly, textiles need gentle care. On the street (even far from the metropolis), the plant will quickly become covered with dust.

Tip: Trees, shrubs or potted plants almost always need to be fluffed up. After transportation, they are crushed, lose volume. Place the plant in a decorative planter and carefully spread the branches and leaves on it.

Oksana

3. Plants created using Real Touch technology
This category includes any modern materials that allow the use of ready-made flowers in the professional field. For example, a silk or synthetic base with a polymer coating, silicone of different densities, polyurethane, and even 3D printing. Modern technologies make it possible to create flowers that, in appearance and even to the touch, are not so easy to distinguish from natural ones. The veins on the leaves, the velvety texture of a rose petal, the fluffiness of a poppy stem…

Wish tree. Interior floristry

Moreover, they are reusable, and the composition can be remade at any time. Florists and decorators are actively bringing bouquets, baskets and entire arches of such flowers to the masses.

Service life of polymer roses and tulips from 1 to 5 years. It is affected by operating conditions and maintenance. It is best to use plants in the interior, as they do not have high UV resistance. Depending on the material, the flowers can be washed with hot water, wiped with a damp cloth, or blow off the dust with a hair dryer.

In the photo: the artificial origin of this Phalaenopsis orchid can only be determined by the lack of soil in the pots

Oksana

In the photo: trendy kokedamas are now also made of polymers. Effective, cozy and no maintenance

Ceramic floristry Ceramic floristry

4. Ceramic flowers - as a gift
Creating flowers from "cold porcelain" (polymer clay) has become a hobby for many craftswomen and a source of additional income. However, it is difficult for these cute bouquets to prophesy great achievements in the field of professional floristry due to their "museum" technical characteristics and unpreparedness for intensive use.

Much depends on the quality of the source material, but in general, the floral decor made of polymer clay is afraid of moisture and water, allows dust to be blown off only with a cold stream of air, is quite fragile and subject to deformation, therefore it is difficult to transport. But yes, the beauty of "cold porcelain" sometimes turns out to be unearthly!

Interior floristry with stabilized flowers

5. Stabilized flowers (live in glycerine)
“What is stabilization? The flower is grown as usual and cut at its most beautiful flowering stage. All the juices of the plant are drawn out of the bud in a special way, and instead of them, the flower is filled with a composition based on glycerin. And the flower itself is placed in this composition. Thus, the rose is "preserved" for a month. After such “holidays”, the flower is ready for a long life: up to 5 years or more,” says Galina Turagina, founder of the TURAGINA DECOR studio.

Artificial flowers

Stabilized flower arrangements are a convenient option for interiors with neutral climate conditions. Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways - there is little lighting for living potted plants in them, and the “greenery” is just asking. Changing bouquets every three days is expensive, so stabilized plants can be a good way out.

Idea from photo: Imagine. that you are returning home after a long absence, and right at the entrance a bouquet of carelessly thrown flowers is waiting for you. Real flowers are not capable of this.

Fact: Stabilized flowers do not like direct sunlight and high temperatures, so in winter it is better to keep them away from the batteries. It will not work to put such a bouquet in the bathroom - it is too damp. But taking care of them is easy: all you need is to blow off the dust from the petals as needed.

Who needs all these artificial arborvitae, roses and cacti?

Decorators of hotels, restaurants, offices. Dry air, the barbaric attitude of the guests, watering with tea leaves - all this lights up a red light even for such staunch soldiers as "mother-in-law's tongue", which, even dead, looks alive for a long time. It is more logical to immediately replace it with a fellow polymer (example in the photo below).

Oksana

Exterior designers. Artificial plants can stand at the entrance to a store, hotel or private house all year round and look fresh, green and lush. They are not afraid of frost, sunshine, exhaust gases and other joys of a big city. Artificial boxwoods and arborvitae somehow decorate the gray urban landscape in winter, when with the end of the warm season, all landscaping disappears from the streets.

New RACE

Owners of spacious apartments and houses. Modern apartment layouts with giant hallways, bathrooms and walk-in closets give decorators a reason to include artificial flower arrangements. There is a demand, people like it. They try, albeit with caution, and ... they come again.

In country houses, cottages and townhouses there are always transit zones, dark corners or niches, which are occupied not only by paintings and souvenirs, but also by pots with artificial plants.

Hisbalit

In the photo: a trendy version of green oases right indoors, when the plants are collected in a conceptual group. In this project, artificial bamboos additionally solve the problem of zoning

Alfa-Brand | Simagina Olga

Elad Gonen

Travelers and workaholics. If your business trips or trips last less than a month, you can afford live plants: automatic watering pots and modern special granules allow you to reduce watering to once a month. In other cases, artificial ficus and a bouquet of stabilized roses can maintain comfort in the house, because they do not require any care.

The Lovely Drawer

Interior blogger Teri Munsey says this about artificial plants: “In the comments on my articles, people often admire the plants in my living room because they are plentiful and look great. But they are all artificial. I just can't keep track of the living. I have tried many times to take care of the plants, but they die. And I changed tactics.

ABOUT THIS…
Looking for perfection? And it is not and cannot be

ALLARTSDESIGN

Allergy sufferers, children and animals. Artificial indoor plants will not cause another allergy attack, the baby will not arrange a sandbox in a pot with ficus, and cats will not exterminate yucca in order to clear the stomach. Such "little things in life", if they happen constantly and last for years, can kill even the strongest love for living plants.

People with a "heavy hand" What to do if your flowers do not grow and that's it! And the lunar day is correct, and the pot with automatic watering, and the modern granulate, and the plant from a reliable nursery, and meditated before transplanting in order to cleanse itself of negative fluctuations, and the result is the same - the plant died.

RELATED…
Psychology: how to get rid of unnecessary thoughts about home and yourself

Nina Frolova

In the photo: artificial turf is a fashionable theme in modern design. Today it is used not only in yards and sports fields, but also for decorating interiors

At least try to admit the possibility of artificial plants in your life - and a lot of opportunities will open up for you.

Best flowers to press

What Flowers Are Good for Pressing? | Home Guides

Tip

Best Flowers to Press

Other Flower Considerations

How to Press Flowers

7 Best Flower Pressing Supplies 2020

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Related Stories

Top 10 Plants for School – Planting Classrooms Smartly

Chlorophytum

Aloe

Sansevieria (pike tail, mother-in-law's tongue)

Asparagus (asparagus)

Begonia

Fuchsia

Lemon

Scindapsus

Tradescantia

Crassula (ovoid crassula, money tree)

Artificial flowers and plants in the interior and garden: is it possible to keep, why are they needed, how to choose

Learn more