The flowerswith their beauty and aroma, they brighten our lives and give us well-being. And it is proven that fresh flowers help ward off worries and sadness, reduce stress, help us be more vital and hopeful, and even increase our creativity.

However, often last a short time. Surely you have thought many times when faced with beautiful flowers that you would like to keep them like this forever. One of the ways to achieve this is preserved flowersalthough you have to pay attention to what substances have been used to obtain them because sometimes they can be harmful to the environment.

What are preserved flowers?

The first thing to say is that preserved flowers are natural flowers. At their peak of splendor and after cutting them, they undergo a preservation process to stop biological aging processes and maintain its beauty, color, freshness and aroma for a long time without the need for water or sunlight.

To preserve the flowers and ensure they have a fresh appearance, they go through a dehydration process in which different substances can be used for drying and conservation. Products can also be used to remove their natural pigments and colorants so that they have more intense or brighter tones.

Once the preservation process is complete, they will require virtually no maintenance, beyond remove dust with a remote cold air dryer.

Difference between preserved flowers and dried flowers

It must be taken into account that Preserved flowers are not the same as dried flowers. The process to obtain one and the other is different: the dried flowers undergo a natural drying processsimply leaving them in the air, while preserved ones involve the use of different substances and a more complicated conservation technique.

The preserved flowers maintain a more natural appearance and similar to fresh flowers, and are softer and more delicate. On the other hand, while dried flowers should be handled with care because they can break easily, the preserved ones are more resistant and can last several months or even years.

Not all flowers can be preservedso preserved flowers are often combined with dried flowers to make decorative bouquets.

Another way to enjoy flowers is by pressing and drying them. They are very decorative. In this video we tell you how to do it:

How to get preserved flowers

There are different methods to preserve flowers. They are often placed in a preservative solutionusually a mixture of glycerin, water, preservatives, humectants and stabilizersto replace its sap and water and maintain its appearance.

In some cases, to have beautiful and bright colors, they first undergo a aggressive whitening process to eliminate their natural pigments that can weaken them, so they are often added chemical substances to reduce its fragility. Later, when they are already bleached and the preservatives have been applied, dyes are added.

Often, companies that sell preserved flowers do not detail the process they follow and We cannot know for sure what substances they have used, so there is a lot of opacity, but some do detail that they use biodegradable, environmentally friendly substances to preserve their flowers, and it is worth checking this before purchasing them.

Methods are also used pressurized air injection to inject the preservative agent at high pressure that replaces the natural sap, or the freeze dryingwhich consists of freezing the flowers and then removing the ice using a vacuum process.

How to dispose of preserved flowers

One of the consequences of the fact that in many cases it is difficult to know what technique and chemicals have been used for preservation or whitening of the flowers is that it also makes it difficult to know how to dispose of them once they have gone bad.

If you are not sure that biodegradable and environmentally friendly compounds have been used, It is not advisable to use them as fertilizer and you have to throw them in the gray container.

Other home options to preserve flowers

If you like preserve your flowers at homethere are ecological and natural methods to do it:

• Glycerin: is a natural substance that can be used to replace the sap and water of flowers. To do this, instead of in water, the flowers are placed in a mixture of water and glycerin (in a ratio of 2:1) so that the plant tissues absorb it. After a few days, the flowers will have absorbed the solution and the remaining water will have evaporated.
• silica gel: It is a desiccant that absorbs moisture and is reusable. To obtain preserved flowers you just have to bury them in this gel in an airtight container (covering them completely). In about a week, the flowers will have dried. You can use alternative substances such as borax, corn flour or rice.

• Pressing: To press the flowers, they should be placed between absorbent paper and pressed, either with a heavy object (such as a heavy book) or with a flower press, for a few weeks to flatten and dry them. This method works best with flowers that are naturally flat.
• Wax: Coating with a thin layer of paraffin or melted wax is also a way to preserve flowers, although it is a little trickier to do at home without damaging the flowers. It consists of dipping the flowers (usually done with roses) in melted, but not too hot, unscented paraffin. The wax will help seal in moisture and protect the flowers from decay and can last a few months.