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Cultivating a cutting garden has never been more popular, and now is the time to plan your planters as spring bulbs turn, so it’s an enterprise that many will consider. Dahlias can be grown in containers if they’re big enough, but it’s a bit of a process, and we’re after a shortcut - let’s press!
Is knowledge, time, garden size or permanency stopping your green fingers from joining in on the cutting gardening trend? Here we speak to Leah Nikolaou, an embroidery designer from Frome, Somerset, who grows and dries flowers for her art - about another creative pastime you might only need an outdoor planter and some seeds to start.
How to dry flowers with a press
Anyone can play around with pressing flowers - an age-old method of drying that speeds up the process and it is a hugely rewarding way of expressing your creativity Leah explains. “Portable and versatile replacement borders for compact spaces and temporary homes exist in window boxes and planters - so there’s no need not to join in”... and with the interior demand for dried flower accessorising showing no sign of wilting - read on to benefit your home décor and your well-being!
How to choose the right flowers for pressing
Leah explains that all wild plants have protection by law; “there are some species that you are forbidden to pick, so don’t ever pick flowers in public parks, community gardens, or on National Trust property or nature reserves. Allow a few wildflowers to grow at home; they grow readily even in poor soil, so it takes no skill - and their stems are very thin, so they dry out quickly!”
When is the right time to press flowers?
“Don’t collect in wet weather; afternoons are best when moisture in the air has evaporated. Gather more than you think you’ll need because flowers often get damaged when drying and pressing. Allow your flowers to sit in a vase of water whilst awaiting pressing - so they don’t wilt before they make the press. Use a paper towel to dab all water and moisture from the stems before pressing.”
How to press flowers in 5 easy steps
1.
Blotting paper is the best paper to use because it absorbs the moisture out of the flowers. Place flowers down head first onto the paper. Press flowers down lightly in the position you want the flowers to be, gently, with your fingers. Don’t overlap flowers unless you want them to press together. TIP - Use acid-free paper and glues to prevent discolouration.
2.
Quickly place the second piece of blotting paper over the top - use a piece of absorbent kitchen towel above and below your blotting paper to soak up moisture from those thicker stemmed flowers - it prevents the flowers from turning brown. TIP - Remove leaves and flowers of congested stems to reduce the bulk.
3.
Next, cover your paper-flower layers with a thicker piece of board to form a press. Pick up a conventional flower press and microwave press online - or simply use a pile of books and absorbent paper! Repeat these three steps for each page. Paper towel, Blotting paper, flowers, blotting paper, paper towel, board REPEAT!
4.
If you use a conventional press, you may need to change the paper of chunkier specimens once - and tighten the press every day. Make sure that there is plenty of air circulation around your press – place it in the path of a fan or hang above a heat source, like a radiator. Don’t use a hairdryer! The intense heat will cause browning.
5.
A dried plant can be brittle, so be cautious - it is handy to use tweezers. Traditionally, people sewed pressed plant specimens onto thick paper - but glue works perfectly well. Pressed flowers can be stored in a sealed bag or airtight container away from direct sunlight.
How long do dried flowers last?
It is important to remember that light does cause naturally dried flowers from the press tend to fade. Leah has chosen our Delicate Hanging Glass Frame - Brass to display her dried Cosmos and Nigella because simple framing highlights the natural beauty of the flowers. Consider hanging pressed flower décor in areas that don't receive bright sunlight or direct bright light; there are commercial sealants you can spray on dried flowers, but if yours fade, it is the best excuse to start this rewarding process all over again!
What are the right flowers to grow in containers?
Leah has used our Three Ridged Plastic Curved Planters - Antique White - and explains that “all seed varieties differ, and on the back of the seed packet, it will give you the right advice: the month of the year to sow outdoors / how deep to sow the seeds (some centimetres deep, others are sprinkled on the top!) / how far apart to sow. You may want to sow more than advised to ensure enough germinate in your outdoor planter, which is fine - you can always pluck some seedlings out when they are about 3 inches tall to thin things out”.
