I'm betting it would be inacurate of any artist to say there are flowers we love to preserve, as well as ones we dread! I'm going to feature in this article some of my all time favourites to preserve, and even show you how some have come out. All artists have their own style, and its the same for preservation artists. I feel as though my style definitely lends itself to the minimalistic style, using colourful wild flowers and challenging myself to preserve the most unique and exotic flowers.
Saying that there are some staples used by florists that are just a joy to work with! Here are some examples;
Astilble
Not only does astilbe (also known as false ghosts beard) dry extremely well, it also casts well! I love the fact it comes in so many different colours and really can be a classic addition to a flower arrangement, but can also stand out from the crowd. Usually used as a filler, astilbe leaves grow on strong stalks which means they also travel very well by post. It can be hung dried and also air dried which is an added bonus to keep spares lying around! As astilbe grows most of the year, its lovely to see it in arrangements all year round. If you are a bride planning your bouqet and want a beautiful fluffy filler that preserves well, astilbe should definitely sit proudly on your flower list!
Astrantia
Astrantia really is as beautiful as it sounds! These small tiny flowers are commonly used in summer bouquets and flower arrangements and definitely have a quirky look about them. Luckily they also dry extremely well, and hold their shape beautifully throughout the drying process and through the casting process, which is surprising with them having such small details. Atrantia comes in many gorgeous colours such as a deep red, light blush pinks and also purples, as well as the classic white with hunts of green. These go perfectly in my 12cm letters and are definitely one of the first things I reach for if they are available.
Here in Keeley's letter initial bundle you can see the gorgeous soft purple astrantia in the ampersand and the "R". I loved working with Keeley's flowers as there was so many absolutely gorgeous and unique flowers in her arrangement.
Arrangement was done by Haze Lea Designs.
Delphinium
Also known as guardian lavender, deplhinium comes in gorgeous shades of blue and really captures the essence of "something blue". Part of the larkspur family, these gorgeous small flowers are the perfect size to go in small paperwights or 11cm letters, they have a gorgeous soft texture which means they dry extremely well in silica sand and hold their colour beautifully. They stand alone as a feauture flower or make for pretty additions to any resin preservation peice.
They also look just as stunning when pressed, which means they are fabulously suitable for coasters, wall hangings and other thinner keepsakes. You can see here how they really give a great colour to these coasters.
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