I have a wall basket in my house that I keep in a prominent place.  I look at it daily because it holds the dried flowers that I’ve kept from the most sentimental of occasions in my life.  It’s not exactly a stunning dried floral arrangement but it’s special and that’s what makes it important.  I just don’t know how to keep it clean.  When I see dust accumulating, I simply pull off a flower petal and expose the unblemished petal underneath.  I know there will come a day when there will be nothing left in my pretty metal basket but a bottom full of curled up leaves and naked stems standing at attention. Woe to that day.

What do you do?
Do you just pitch your spent flowers or do you dry or press them?  On occasion, I sometimes find fall leaves and other flowers tucked into a long-forgotten book on (hmm, I wonder which book has my little edelweiss flower from Switzerland?). I digress… These methods are inexpensive, easy, and are great ways to keep the sentiment alive.  Fortunately for all of us however, there are longer lasting ways to preserve your flowers while retaining their shape and color.

One technique you could try is using a silica gel. Actually a solid, silica gel is another method that won’t cost much if done at home and is a little closer to retaining the natural shape and color but typically only lasts a little longer than drying them.

1. What does the process of freeze drying entail? Pre-treat? Post-treat?
2. How will your flowers look after preservation?
3. Ask to see samples
4. Ask for references
5. How long will the entire process take?
6. When and how soon are the fresh flowers to be delivered to the preservationist?
7. Are there package discounts for additional flowers and framing?
8. How do you take care of the flowers after preservation if unframed or uncased?
9. Can you customize the look, if you want to?
10. If needed, which flowers will they substitute?