5 Ways To Make Your Foliage Last Longer

It’s autumn again, and while the demands for flower delivery remain the same, the leaves are certainly starting to change color. For florists, keeping foliage intact is one of the top priorities this time of the year.

For those unaware, foliage are dried flowers used to decorate arrangements and craft projects. Here are five ways to make your foliage last a little longer.

Pressing Leaves

Pressing leaves is an easy and fun way to preserve your foliage. Even better, all you need are newspapers and books in the absence of a fancy leaf press.

The first step in the pressing method is to ensure your leaves are dry, then place them between a newspaper, with a pile books over it. The result of this method gives you lovely flat leaves that are perfect for collages. Green and yellow leaves particularly tend to do well with this method even though they darken eventually.

Glycerin Bath

If you want your leaves to remain pliable and preserved indefinitely, a glycerin bath is a good choice. This method is incredibly helpful to local florists who deliver all year-round as it preserves the leaves longer when compared to other methods.

The success of the glycerin method depends on the uptake of the solution into the plant. It is, therefore, advisable that you do not water the plant shortly before harvest to enable it to absorb the glycerin mixture faster. Furthermore, recut the stem before dipping it in the solution and leave the plant container somewhere with good circulation.

Air-Drying Method

Freshly gathered plants that retain water are ideal candidates for the air-drying method, because of the need to be dried before use. For instance, if the aim is to send out flowers tomorrow, you should start air-drying days before as the length of time depends on the plant material.

Simply hang the plant in a cool and dry area with good air circulation like a basement, a closet with louvered doors, or an attic. To have a less damaging result, make sure your stems remain straight and are neatly hung in bundles.

Add some orris root powder

After drying your flower petals, please place them in a container and add a couple of drops of essential oil, as mentioned above. Add a little orris root powder into the mixture and shake it up. Seal up the container and allow it to sit for at least two weeks.

If you want a more potent fragrance, you can leave the container sealed for a longer amount of time. The idea of adding orris root powder is to prevent the essential oils from evaporating. Besides, it will ensure your mixture has a long-lasting sweet smell.

Microwave Method

The microwave method is a modern and efficient way to keep your foliage alive longer. For the microwave method, you will need fresh leaves, paper towels, acrylic spray, and of course, a microwave.

Arrange the leaves in between 2 to 3 paper towels and leave them in the microwave for 30-180 seconds. Pay close attention to this process so that you don’t burn the leaves. Once done, let the leaves sit for 24 to 48 hours before sealing both sides of the leaves with an acrylic spray.

Decoupage Method

The decoupage method is a great way to preserve a leaf's color and form for a little longer. All you need is a foam brush and decoupage.

Select vibrant leaves, so they do not lose all of their color after the process. Using the foam brunch, apply a coat of decoupage on both sides of the leaf, allowing each one to dry before flipping it over. Once the decoupage is completely dry, you can use your foliage to arrange and get flowers delivered same day