Preserved Moments: Pressing Flowers and Leaves

Four leaf clover from a friend and a Ginkgo leaf from Frank Lloyd Wright's home

“Pressed foliage is a simple and meaningful way to preserve special moments.”

I keep a small book for pressing wildflowers and leaves in my purse at all times. Sometimes these small, pressed items stay with me as lucky mementos. Other times they are added to my larger collection at home, in a nature journal. Occasionally they are pressed between wax paper for preservation.*

Ginkgo, a beautiful and rare species of tree, is a living fossil. All other species to which Ginkgo is closely related only exist in fossils, meaning that the surviving species has lived through major extinction events during the course of history. I collected a number of Ginkgo leaves from the tree in Frank Lloyd Wright’s backyard, on a meaningful trip to his original home in Oak Park, IL in the suburbs of Chicago. He was such an inspired and thoughtful designer. I wanted that day to last forever, and now carry a piece of it with me everyday.

Pressed foliage is a simple and meaningful way to preserve such special moments. Long after the place and moment has passed you can carry it with you in a form of delicate, preserved elegance. The four leaf clover (perfect symbol for St. Patrick’s Day this Thursday, March 17th) pictured above was given to me by a close friend on a leisurely summer walk through his neighborhood. He has a special gift that allows him to see the shift and change in patterns of the traditional three leaf clover, and can quickly spot clovers with more leaves. The odds of finding a four leaf clover are around 1 in 10,000, but he finds them with great ease. Here is a sweet little blog postby Liz Ness about framing her clover collection for a little extra inspiration.

Pressing and preserving little pieces of nature can add a little magic to your collections. So, the next time you venture out into the world, pick-up a little something to remind you of the moment for years to come.

*To preserve dried plants and flowers in wax paper ensure they are completely dried, with no moisture remaining in the plant. Press the plants between the pages of a heavy book or journal lined with newspaper to absorb moisture. You’ll need standard wax paper from the grocery, a thin cloth and a hot iron. Gently lay the dried item between two pieces of wax paper. Ensure the waxy, sticky sides of the paper are facing each other in the center. Lay cloth over the layered paper and press with a hot iron until wax is melted enough to create a seal around the edge of the flower or leaf. To avoid burning, move the iron around and don’t leave in one place for too long. Trim paper as necessary without losing the wax seal.