How to Preserve Flowers Longer than Usual
All flowers are special, especially those you get for Valentine’s Day, your birthday, your graduation and your wedding bouquet. In order to keep them alive longer you might be looking for flower preservation tips. The good news is that there are numerous ways to keep the flowers looking fresh but you could also think about a dried flower.
This way you can preserve the flowers forever and ever. In order to make sure that the flowers will look their best, there are some pro tips you could use. In each case you will have to decide which tip is the most suitable.
Ways to preserve flowers
1. Try soda pop
3. Use some apple cider vinegar
4. Medicate
6. Use copper
7. Zap your flowers in the microwave
8. Hold on to those silica gel packs
Learn How to Preserve a Flower to Keep Your Favorite Bouquets Alive for Longer Periods of Time to Enjoy Them
So, how to preserve flowers? What do you have to do to keep the flowers looking fresh or to keep them as a memorabilia?
Soda is good for flowers
Although soda may not be good for you because of all the added sugar, it is exactly what your flowers need. If you would like to know how to preserve roses, for example, you should pour some soda in the vase. The sugar in the soda will keep the flowers looking fresh for longer periods of time. If you don’t want others to catch on to the little trick you are using, you should opt for clear soda. Nobody will ever know that there is no water in the vase but they will marvel at how long your flowers seem to last.
Add some hair spray
When it comes to preserved flowers, the majority of people don’t really think about applying hairspray. However, you ought to know that it doesn’t only help you maintain your hairstyle, but also the fresh look of flowers. For instance, in case you are wondering how to preserve wedding bouquet longer, you should try spraying the flowers with hair spray. Apply the product to the underside of the leaves and petals. Just as in case of your hair, they will stay in place longer and you will get to enjoy them for weeks.
Use apple cider vinegar
For sure you like to have fresh flowers in your home, not only dry flower, so you might want to preserve flowers. One of the tricks is to add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar along with two tablespoons of sugar. In order to maintain the freshness of the flowers, you might want to change the water every few days and ensure that you always add more sugar and more apple cider vinegar. Again, just as in case of soda, sugar will keep the cut flowers looking fresh longer so you won’t have to buy new ones very often.
Flowers need some medication
Most probably you have heard this one before, but if you don’t want to have dried roses in your vase, you should add aspirin to the water. As strange as it may sound, it is a tried and true method. All you have to do is to crush the aspirin and add it to the water. This is also a good solution for bouquet preservation. You may have the habit of leaving the flowers in the same water until they die, but you should make sure you change it every few days and add some aspirin to it each time you do so.
Keep the water clean
Another solution to preserve wedding bouquet is to add some bleach to the water. All you have to do is to add ¼ tsp. of bleach to a liter of water. Another recipe requires three drops of bleach and a teaspoon of sugar per 1 liter of water. The good news is that the bleach will prevent the water from becoming cloudy and it will stop the growth of the bacteria. There is no need for you to buy a special kind of bleach for this purpose; for sure you have some at home you use for cleaning. That will do the trick.
A penny for your… flowers
In case you are wondering how to preserve a flower, you should consider adding a copper penny to the water. This is believed to work because the copper in the coin acts as an acidifier that will prevent the growth of bacteria in the water. To preserve the flowers for longer periods of time, you should also add a sugar cube to the water. This will offer enough sugar for the flowers to “feed on”. As a result they will look fresh for longer periods of time. Although people may wonder why you have a penny in your vase, you don’t necessarily have to share your secret.
Microwave the flowers
If you happen to be thinking about drying roses, you should know that the microwave might be the right way to go. All you have to do is to place the flowers one by one in a microwavable bowl and fill the bowl with four cups of cat litter. Place the bowl in the microwave and let it heat up for 2-3 minutes at high setting. Take the bowl out and allow the cat litter to cool down before taking the flower out. This will take the place of weeks of flower drying. You need the cat litter to remove the moisture from the flower.
Silica gel is your friend
Another option for drying rose petals is to bury them in silica gel. You can find silica gel in craft stores. This substance looks something like sand and it usually works for the sturdier flowers, such as roses and zinnias. Pour the silica gel in a large container and add the flowers or petals to it. In a few days gently uncover the preserved rose. The good thing about this method is that it preserves the shape of the petal or flower along with their natural color. While pressing is also an option, the results will never be as vibrant.
As you can see, preserving or drying flowers isn’t as difficult as you may have thought at first. You just have to be resourceful.
