Guide
The bitter end of my indoor herbs
by Darina Schweizer
Fresh off the press – my flower experiment
15.9.2023
Translation: Eva Francis
I recently took apart my bridal bouquet to press and dry the flowers. After a month, I’ve just taken the first ones from the flower press. What do they look like? Read on to find out.
Has my green thumb gone? This question was on my mind when my indoor herbs recently died on the windowsill.
I feared the worst – that anything plant-related wouldn’t survive in my home. But now I’m celebrating a new floral success! Well, the flowers aren’t exactly alive...but we’ll get to that later.
The bride with the flat, dried flowers
Not long ago, I was standing by Lake Constance crying. Not because of my indoor herbs, but because I got married. With a bridal bouquet in hand, made of cut (aka dead) flowers. Quite my thing, I thought after the celebration and began to dry and press the flowers and twigs in an attempt to preserve the bundle of memories of this wonderful day. And, I must admit, to restore my bruised gardener ego a bit.
While part of the bouquet – the one my husband didn’t throw at his single friend – is still hanging in the cellar to dry for a month, I’ve already pressed some of its flowers and twigs between the pages of a notebook. Yesterday, I pulled the notebook out from under the heavy guitar amp, opened it up and got out the sheets of newspaper the flowers were drying on.
The big reveal
My first reaction? Pure excitement! The flowers have a beautiful vintage vibe and are as flat as a pancake. Some did turn out better than others, though. Here’s my ranking:
Source: Darina Schweizer
First place: Baby’s Breath
As my online sources had predicted, Baby’s Breath flowers are particularly suitable for pressing. The tiny florets still look fluffy and almost 3D-like with the way they overlap. They are definitely the winner of my bridal bouquet pressing competition.
Second place: Astrantia
Another great result. The delicate tips of the Astrantia flower look beautiful when they’re pressed. The gradient from white into green comes out wonderfully. However, some stems are a bit long and crooked. I could have shortened and pulled them straight.
Third place: Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is suitable for pressing, according to some online sources. Others say the knobbly flowers are tricky to press. I agree with the latter. When I pre-treated them with an iron, they gave off a lot of liquid and were quite bulky. The pressed result’s okay, but not fantastic. In fact, the leaves look better than the flowers.
Fourth place: Rose
The classic love symbol didn’t make the podium. The white rose flowers took on a light brownish colour and a weird shape. I now know what the reason is – I pressed the entire flowers between the newspaper sheets. You can achieve a better result if you separate the petals, press them individually and glue them together again at the end, as described in this video:
A frame for eternity
Overall, I’m happy with the result. I’m going to buy a glass frame, fill it with the pressed flowers from my bridal bouquet and the poem from our civil wedding («Eternity» from the series 13 Reasons Why. This will forever be my souvenir of our big day. There you go. I haven’t lost my green thumb after all.
Source: Darina Schweizer
Have you ever pressed flowers? How did it go? I’m looking forward to your comments.
Header image: Darina Schweizer
Darina Schweizer
Senior Editor
Darina.Schweizer@digitecgalaxus.chI like anything that has four legs or roots. The books I enjoy let me peer into the abyss of the human psyche. Unlike those wretched mountains that are forever blocking the view – especially of the sea. Lighthouses are a great place for getting some fresh air too, you know?
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