Undeniably, fresh cut flowers have their charm, but in a city like Hong Kong, not everyone has the time to change the vase water, retrim the flower stems and clean the vase inside and out on a daily basis. If you are looking for an exquisite but more durable floral décor that doesn’t require a lot of care, preserved flowers would work perfect for you.
What is the difference between preserved flowers and dried flowers?
The difference between these two types of flowers come from the preservation process.
Dried flowers are, by definition, fresh cut flowers that are dehydrated. Simply leave the flowers to dry naturally by placing them to hang face down. The stems should be spread out to ensure they dry out evenly. The foliage and petals will become brittle, the colours will continue to fade over time, giving the flowers an earthy vintage look. Dried flowers are delicate, but with the right care they can last for 1-2 years.
To make preserved flowers, fresh flowers are cut at their prime and rehydrated by glycerine solution. The glycerine solution replaces the water in the flower, preserving the shape and texture of the flower. This is why preserved flowers don’t dry out or wrinkle. Compared to dried flowers, preserved flowers are much softer to touch, less fragile, and may last for as long as 3-5 years. The production process of preserved flowers involves intricate steps of dehydrating, bleaching, rehydrating and often recolouring. It’s no surprise that preserved flowers ─ embodying both beauty and durability ─ are generally more expensive than fresh cut flowers and dried flowers.
How to care for preserved flowers?
Keep them away from water. Do not sprinkle water or perfume on them.
Keep them dry. Preserved flowers cannot tolerate humidity (i.e. environments of more than 60% humidity). They don’t do well under direct sunlight either.
Remove dust from preserved flowers with a small brush or a hairdryer using cold wind with weak power.