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Growing a garden is only half the fun, there is so much you can do with with your garden while and after it is in bloom. Pressing and framing flowers is one of the beautiful ways in which to preserve and enjoy the flowers that you have grown in your yard. Start growing flowers that can be pressed and then framed for your walls, or to give as gifts to friends and family. Like your flowers, the frames can be done in all sizes and there are so many creative ways to display your flowers.
If you want to begin decorating your home with natural, sophisticated artwork made from the flowers that you grow, try planting these easy flowers to press and frame that make the biggest impact.
Springtime Flowers For Pressing and Framing
There are several springtime flowers that are great for pressing, and because they are some of the first flowers most of us see after months of winter, they happen to be some of the most popular options. Poppies and violas are a favorite springtime flower, and their vibrant colors and dainty petals make them quick and easy to dry. Columbine flowers bloom early in the spring and even though they are bell shaped, they flatten out easily and their interesting shape is on full display.
Summer Flowers to Press and Frame
There are so many flowers that bloom during the summer months to choose from, but large, bright blooms should be the flowers you cut and press. Cosmos and marigolds have layers of petals that ensure a full flower head is pressed even if one petal is moved out of position while pressing. Dahlias and zinnias are two more summer flowers that are easy to add to your garden, grow in abundance and then cut for pressing without having to pull all the flowers that are in bloom from the garden.
Wildflowers to Press and Frame
Some of the best wildflowers to press include those that are found in meadows and near creeks. Queen Anne’s Lace presses incredibly well and creates these huge blooms that look beautiful between sheets of glass. Larkspur is another very impressive flower that blooms in tall spikes with flowers filling the entire stem. While Queen’s Anne Lace can be arranged in a creative way that shows off several flowers, Larkspur is usually framed individually because of its size and stunning appearance.
Large Flowers for Pressing and Framing
Some flowers are easier to press than others, but they have to be pressed and then framed a certain way in order to ensure that the flower is completely dried and flattened out. In the case of very thick flower heads, remove the petals from the center and dry in different layers. The cone will dry out at a different rate with the petals and doing them individually will ensure that the petals do not curl or mold. Once everything has dried out and the cones have been completely flattened, you can reassemble them into their original arrangement on the glass that you are going to use to frame them in.
Regardless of what is easy to press or not press, experiment with the different types of leaves, stems and buds that you see around the garden and press what interests you. Sometimes its the most common leaves that make the most beautiful framed pieces.
