Hang flowers upside down, or lay them on drying racks or screens raised off the ground. Wait for flowers to completely dry, and then sort the plants by flower types and sizes, and store them in an airtight container until ready to use. Table 1 lists flowers that are recommended for air drying. Pressing Pressing is a method of preserving plants to use on pictures, stationery, place cards, etc. Most foliage and simple flowers with few petals press very well.
Pansies are an excellent flower for pressing at all stages of flower development.
Ferns make excellent pressed plants. Leaves and branches with foliage can be pressed to form plant materials with natural curve. Pressing is done by placing plant materials between layers of an absorbent paper material and applying weight or pressure for at least 5 to 10 days or until the plants are dried. Newspapers, telephone directories, blotter paper, or tissues are good papers to use. Plant presses are also available.