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Plant materiał

Pick ii flower head and doscly examinc its consirucrion. L)o the petals .join into a tubę at the base? If so, it will probably be easy to prcpare lor pressing. Or does the flower head consist o( sępa ratę petals held logether by a calyx or green particles at tlie base? Cently press into the centrę ot the flower lo see if the pelals fold back easily and remain joined to the base. If the flower disin-tegrates, it will not stand up to the strain of pressing in the open position but it might be suitable for pressing in the sideway position.

Pick another flower head from the same group and gently press the petals logether in a closed position. h'xert extra pressure on the calyx with a slight pinch. If the pelals remain intaCl, il will be suitable lor pressing in the sideway position. Once the potential strenglh has been assessed, there are other uuestions to consider. Are the petals Ihin and open, or fleshy and Close together? Petals like those of the Potenlilla will press successfully but il moisture secps out from a fleshy flower when crushed bciween the fingertips, it may be difficult to dry out. Bluebells fali within this caiegory and while some arrangers recommend cutting beli shapes into two halves to lessen the blilk, the results are indined to look straincd and unnatural. An easier solu-tion lies in pressing morę suitable beli shapes like tl\0$e which flower on the pink and red I leuchera plants. I he dried colour of a flower is sometimes difficult to assess in advance but a wilting flower may give an indication of the finał resull. If some of the petals have willed in beige or coffee shades, il is unlikely to relain its original colnurbut if the shape is nttraclive you might decide the materiał is worth preserving. The delicate colours of the Pea flowers often fade away completely but the dried creamy while pelals can be overlapped tu form fuli nuilti-layered flower shapes which cannot be obtained by other rneans.

Somelimes the frailesl of petals are accompanied by large lumpy stigmas in the cenlres and if these cannot be removed, the petals will shrivel up because they cannot lie fiat within the press. When placed in the open or sideway position, do pieces protrude which cannot be plucked away? If so, the complete head is unsuilable for pressing and you will necd io dęci de if :he petals are worlh pressing individually. Finally, are the flowers in healthy condition and do the seleded pressing shapes look attrartive? if a Jlower has to be pruned or forced tno much out of its natura! shape in the atlempt to press it, the result may be awkward and far from appealing. Insects tan da.mage rYagilc petals, flowers can be snagged by brittle neighbours and scorched or bruised by wcather conditions. Fur sumę curiou s rea son there are certain flower pressers who are under the impnession that blemishes will mysteriously vani$h within the press while the opposile octurs. A withered pctal or lattered edge may escape detection amongst living plants bul onoe pressed. these flaws will stanu out clearly. l-ike ladies who ar? subject to good and bad days, Flowers also have their off-peak periods and there is lillle point in picking lhose which are reluc-tanl to come nut or who are downright dowdy around the edges. With a litlle effort beautiful specimens can be sorted from those which are far from perfect and w hiie commerrial arrangers of ten seem eon tent lo use materiał which is second-rate, miniaturo artssts should reserve their skill and patience for the linest materials.

top. Au old-fashioned owi brooch U restored wili!a cream salin lining and a newpersyex covcr.

Bllow. A silk-lined pendant slums a flimsy pink flower firmly secured in the cenlre wilk a single Forgel-me-noi head.

Kk:ht. Tuv uńtch glasses are gJunf logether lo make a pendant umieli amlains an arrangement on each $ ule. Ti:c Work is suspended in a $ilver mount deshned !0 hołd a crown piece.

Lrrr. A pendant is lined willi a piece of shoi-stlk tul front a iulip pctal.