When we hear the word "preserved" we might think of the Mona Lisa painting that has been preserved for hundreds of years to look just as good as the day it was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, but when it comes to preserved flowers, there are many different types of preservation methods which all result in a different looking flower. This leads to the next question, "What are the different methods of flower preservation and which one is best for my needs? 

We can classify the different methods of flower preservation as either a drying method or a chemical stabilization of the flower.

FLOWER DRYING METHODS- 

Air Dried Flower Preservation: This is a physical drying technique to preserve flowers and it is one of the most popular and straightforward methods for preserving flowers. You start with fresh flowers and after the flowers have started to wither after a week you can tie a string around the stems of the flowers and place the flowers upside down in a cool, dark place for about 7-10 days until they dry completely.

The end result is a dry brittle flower that has lost most of its color and is very fragile. This is the easiest ways to "preserve" flowers, but lets be honest, it's just a dried out flower and it's not a good method to capture the beauty, texture, or the smell of the flower. None the less, it can be a good way to keep your flowers if you hold special sentimental value to the flowers. For example you could do this with your wedding bouquet since 99% of wedding bouquets today are made with fresh perishable flowers.

In this video from Botany Studio, we are shown the method for Air Drying flowers for preservation.

Hairspray Flower Preservation: This is a physical and chemical process of preserving flowers and it is a less common technique to preserve flowers. To Preserve your flowers with hairspray  you follow all of the steps of air drying your flowers from above and then you spray the flowers with a light coating of hairspray. You can do several coats of hair spray and use either aerosol or non-aerosol hairspray, but the end result won't be much different. 

The end result is very similar to air dried flowers, except the flowers are a little less brittle for a couple of weeks. Overall this method doesn't produce much better results than air drying the roses, but it does cost more with the purchase of the hairspray and the extra time to spray the flowers.

In this video by Shelby, we are shown how she uses hairspray to help preserve her air dried flowers.

Wax Flower preservation- This is a chemical process for preserving flowers. The process of preserving flowers with wax will help preserve them for 1-2 months in a more natural looking state versus a dried and brittle looking state. This method requires paraffin wax, a double boiler, a candy thermometer, and parchment paper​. To wax dip roses for preservation, you'll need to melt paraffin wax in a double boiler until it reaches a liquid state. Ensure the wax is not too hot to prevent damaging the petals. Hold the rose by the stem and gently dip it into the melted wax, covering the entire flower evenly. Shake off any excess wax and hang the rose upside down to dry.

The end result of using wax to preserve flowers is that the flowers will be encased in wax, maintaining its shape, color, and beauty for 4-8 weeks or possibly longer depending on the flower. The main drawbacks of using wax is that the flowers will only last 4-8 weeks before they dry out, lose color, and look similar to a dried flower. Also the wax can make the flower look glossy and the texture of the flower will be less pliable. Some additional drawbacks of the process of encasing the flowers in wax can be the cost of the materials and the time required to process each flower.

In this video from Grace, she shows the process of preserving flowers with wax.

Pressed Flower Preservation- Pressed flower preservation is a physical technique for drying flowers that takes smaller cuttings of flowers and places them between parchment paper and then places them inside a heavy book. You would then change the paper every few days to avoid moisture build-up, and after about two weeks, you'll have beautifully pressed dried flowers ready for use in crafts or to be put into a shadowbox.

In this video be Chefanie, she shows us how to press flowers with a book.

Microwave Flower Preservation: This is physical drying technique which uses a microwave to dry the flower out at an accelerated rate versus traditional pressing the flowers with a heavy book or object. To preserve your flowers with a microwave you will want to place them on a paper towel inside the microwave and microwave them on a low setting for 30-60 seconds or possibly longer depending on the type of flower.

The end result of this method is a dry flower that has been flattened, but still retains its color. This method is primarily used for the end result of pressing the flowers into a shadowbox or using the flower as a decorative piece in an epoxy resin art piece or jewelry piece.

In this video gemfox shows us how she microwaves flowers to dry them out to be used for different projects.

In this Video by Laura from Garden Answer, she uses a tool that helps produce better pressed flowers with the microwave called the microfleur. She uses fresh flowers with the microwave and the microfleur product to produce beautiful dried pressed flowers that will be used for a shadowbox flower display.

In this video Artsy Madwoman compares how to preserve flowers using Air drying, Book Pressing, Microwave Drying, and Silica Gel Drying.

Here is a nice screenshot of the end results of the different methods of preservation.

Dehydrated Flower Preservation: Using a food dehydrator to dry flowers is another approach to drying flowers that is quicker than air drying, however this approach may not preserve the color or shape as well as other methods. To dry your flower ​in a food dehydrator you would want to set your temperature on the machine to about 100-140 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the flowers for 4-8 hours depending on the size and type of the flower.

The end result of flowers dried in a food dehydrator is probably one of the worst methods, as the food dehydrator never fully pulls all of the water out and it is very difficult to remove all of the water without damaging or burning the flowers. Furthermore the flowers tend to be shriveled and mushy and not as pretty versus flowers that have been preserved other ways.

Another video by Artsy Madwoman that shows how flowers are dried using a food dehydrator 

Borax and Cornmeal Dried Flower Preservation: This method of drying out flowers is similar to using Silica Gel beads. You first want to get fresh cut flowers and then put them into a container and add 1 part Borax and 2 parts cornmeal and then gently cover the flowers with the mixture. After about 2 weeks sealed inside the container the preserved flowers can be carefully removed and any residue can be brushed off.

The end result are beautifully preserved flowers suitable for display or crafting purposes. The main drawback to using Borax and cornmeal as opposed to silica gel beads is that Borax has been shown to be toxic to humans if ingested, inhaled or rubbed on your skin, so be careful when choosing this method to dry your flowers.

In this video by 20 Mule Team, we are shown how a combination of Borax and cornmeal is used to dry out flowers for preservation. 

Silica Gel Drying Flower Preservation: Silica gel drying is a method where silica, a desiccant, is used to remove moisture from flowers, preserving their shape and color effectively. To use this technique, you would pour silica gel into an airtight container and then gently place the roses in the gel, ensuring they are fully covered. You would Seal the container and store it in a dry, dark place for about a week. Afterward, you would carefully remove the flowers and gently brush off any remaining silica.

The end result of this method will yield a flower that has vibrant appearance and maintains its shape, however the flower will be less pliable and more brittle and still be prone to losing its color over time. This method is one of the most cost effective methods for preserving a flower looking in its natural state and can easily be done at home without having to buy any machines.

Another video by Laura from Garden Answer, where she uses silica gel crystals to dry out and preserve fresh flowers.

Resin Encapsulation: This method involves embedding roses in clear resin to create decorative pieces like paperweights. The first step to preserve flowers in resin is to dry the flowers and remove all the moisture out of the flowers to prevent rotting of the flowers once cast inside the resin. The best method to dry flowers for resin casting is with silica gel drying as described above. After the flowers are dried, they can be arranged in a silicone mold and epoxy resin can be added in layers. The benefit to adding the epoxy resin is layers is to prevent bubbles from getting captured and to prevent the flowers from getting discolored and burnt from the heat that occurs from the resin setting. While adding the epoxy resin in layers you can also use a heat gun or vacuum pressure to help remove bubbles that remain trapped. Once the resin has set after 24 hours you will have a finished product that you can remove from the silicon mold to clean and polish for display.

In this video by Art 'N Glow, she describes the process of preserving flowers in epoxy resin

It is important to note that you shouldn't put fresh flowers into resin for preservation, as the moisture inside the rose will be trapped inside the rose  and the rose will rote over time and your resin art piece will be ruined. This was shown as an example in this video by Sheri Vegas.

Freeze Dried Flower Preservation- Freeze-dried flower preservation involves using a freeze dryer to remove moisture from flowers while maintaining their shape and color. The process starts with pre-freezing the flowers, then placing them in the freeze dryer where a vacuum is created. The temperature is gradually increased, allowing the frozen moisture in the flowers to sublimate directly from ice to vapor, bypassing the liquid phase.

The end result are dried flowers that maintain the original shape and color, but the main drawback is that the flowers are very brittle and lose some vibrancy. Freeze dried flowers can be used for the same craft applications as silica dried flowers, such as dried flower bouquets, shadowboxes, or to be cast into resin art.

In this video by Gooseberry Ridge farm, we are shown how flowers are freeze dried.

Flower Stabilization Method-

The Flower stabilization method is the most technically advanced method to preserve roses and flowers and when we hear or see advertisements for roses that last for years or "Forever Roses in a Box", these are the types of flowers that have undergone stabilization. The term stabilized flower means that it is a fresh flower that has been chemically treated with a proprietary solution to be preserved to look like its original state for months to years. Many of the biggest forever rose box companies such as Forever Monroe's, The Million Roses, and Venus et Fleur all use stabilized roses for their bouquets. Instead of telling customers that these are stabilized roses or preserved fresh roses, it is much easier to advertise them as everlasting, infinity, forever, long lasting, immortal, or never wither roses.

Many people will ask me how to you preserve fresh roses or stabilize fresh roses and I tell them that there is a general process. The most know and effect method is the double immersion process where you take a freshly cut rose and immerse it in a solution of alcohol for 24 hours, and then rinse it and transfer it to another container to be immersed in a special mixture of glycerin, polyethylene glycol or propylene glycol, and the food color dye of your choice. The temperature at which this process takes place is critical in order for the solution to uptake into the rose petals, so all of these process are done in heated containers. The last step is to rinse the rose and let it dry. There are many different ways to stabilize and preserve fresh roses, and there are also many patents from countries all over the world describing different methods using different chemicals and processing times. 

One notable patent with 27 citations on how to create long life flowers was done by Inventor Nadine De Winter-Scailteur. 

The inventor describes her method for treating natural flowers, specifically through a dehydration and infiltration process to preserve their structure and appearance. Initially, flowers like roses and peonies are placed in a trellis cage, ensuring they don't touch each other, and are supported vertically. These flowers are then set in a receptacle packed with a molecular sieve, which adsorbs water from the flowers through direct contact with the petals. This sieve has a specific porosity and crystalline structure designed to selectively adsorb water molecules while leaving larger molecules unretained.

Following dehydration, the flowers undergo an infiltration stage where a mixture of anhydrous solvents and polyethylene glycol (PEG) is used. This mixture varies in composition based on the structural needs of the flowers, with the goal of replacing the water in the flower tissues with a polymer that restores the flower’s physical integrity and appearance. Heating and prolonged exposure to the mixture enhance the process.

Finally, the flowers are transferred to another molecular sieve to drain and dry, restoring their fresh weight to about 80% post-treatment. This method ensures that the flowers retain a natural appearance and structural qualities, like tensile strength and flexibility, similar to fresh flowers.