How to Store and Care for Dried Plants and Flowers

It is always a delight to see blooming flowers in your surroundings. Just seeing a bouquet of magnificent floral arrangements in glass bottles, vases or baskets is enough to brighten your day. Although you can only enjoy them for a limited amount of time, it’s still a spectacular sight to behold, and with the right care, you can enjoy the sights for as long as possible. Roses, for example, can last up to a week with proper care. This means you have to regularly pick and cut the stems of fresh flowers from your garden, or buy ones from the floral shops to replenish your bouquets.

If you want to preserve the colour of flowers and make them last longer, you could learn how to dry them properly and store them in display bottles. Here is an important reminder: the drying process of a flower or a plant does not mean that you have to leave everything out in the sun. Whilst they can dry up, they would not achieve the particular dry condition that you want.

You need to consider several factors when drying up plants and flowers, including moisture, temperature, preservatives and the process. Such process includes pressing, air drying, chemical drying and then finally enjoying what you’ve accomplished.

If the drying process is a success, you would next consider the flowers’ storage and preservation. These two steps will make cut flowers or plants last longer and provide your home with beautiful floral decorations. Here are three important reminders for storing and preserving flowers:

1. Put your garden shed to good use

If you have a garden shed at the back of your house, then you’re one step ahead into preserving flowers and plants. A garden shed is the perfect place to put all your stored dried flowers and plants within satisfactory temperatures. With a garden shed, you can better organise everything for better flower and plant care.

2. Use the right container

You need to find the perfect containers for your flowers and plants. A vase is a good choice, but it is not the best one, especially when it comes to dried flowers and plants. Some people use glass bottles. The way to do it is to either store flowers and plants individually, or as a bouquet. This is where you get creative and playful. Have you seen one of those bottles with a ship inside? Imagine a bottle which contains a small garden of flowers and plants. That is a sight worth your effort.

Just make sure that before you store plants and flowers in the bottle, you first clean it and apply preservatives so that the leaves and flowers don’t become brittle. Some people hang these bottles on the wall or place them on shelves or platforms as decorations. The proper storage of flowers and plants is important because using the wrong containers can cause your dried flowers and plants to wither.

3. Take care of the dried plants and flowers

Even with little care, dried plants and flowers can last for a couple of months or even for an entire season. Taking care of dried flowers starts with the drying process. You can go with air drying which is the most common, easiest and cheapest process. You could also do artificial drying. You can use several preservatives, such as a simple hairspray for the drying process. Make sure you use chemicals sparingly on your lovely flowers and foliage arrangements in order not to ruin their fresh appearance. There are more thorough instructions for drying the flowers, so make sure that you research all the ways to best conduct this process. Every step from drying to storing the plants and flowers is important. Dried flowers and plants are mostly used for decorations and arrangements for various celebrations and events. For some, it is a business idea and for others, it is an entertaining hobby.

In Australia, gardening is a popular outdoor activity, which also makes storing dried plants and flowers a favourite household decoration. Beautiful floral arrangements are on display in many Aussie storage or garden sheds. Some people design a garden with dried flowers, plants and leaves. Others turn living rooms into indoor gardens with dozens of bottled up dried flowers and plants. There are those who hang hooks and place platforms on the walls of their bedroom for rows of dried flower and plant decorations. Aside from the lovely appearance of patterns and texture, these decorations also emit an enchanting smell.

Do you need more space?

Why not start a dried garden of your own? All you need is space in or outside your house for flowers, plants and containers. If you don’t have enough space and your home is already filled with furniture and valuables, then you can always rent one within your own neighbourhood with Spacer. Find one that meets your specific requirements, as dried plants may need some attention while they’re in storage.