Storing and archiving flowers

Storing & Archiving Flowers

To keep your pressed flowers looking their best, it's incredibly important to learn how to adequately store them. A proper organisational system will also ensure you can find what you're looking for when it comes to creating a decorative piece.

Fading

Once a flower has been cut it only has about a week to live. No matter how quickly and perfectly you press a flower, you can't completely prevent the natural process of decay and you should always expect a certain amount of fading.

The Benefits of Archiving

Most flowers are seasonal, and the process of storing and archiving means you can use the seasonal flowers you have pressed all year round.

Storing

You will need:

• Masking tape
• Mount board
• Plastic archive wallet
• Pen

Step 1: Place your pressed plant or flower onto a mount board. We would recommend only putting one type of flower onto a mount board rather than mixing different species, as this will make for a more organised archive.

Step 2: Secure the stem with a tiny strip of masking tape. Be careful not to put tape over the leaf or flower head - only the stem, or in the middle of the root if you have pressed this too.

Step 3: Once you have filled the mount board and everything is secure, you can place this into a plastic archive wallet. Be careful not to bend or fold over any part of the flower when sliding it in.

Step 4: Label the plastic archive wallet using masking tape and pen, writing down the name of the flower.

Step 5: Store them flat in a dry and dark place. Organise them into alphabetical order so that when you next come to locate the pressing, it's super easy to find.