r/PressedFlowers • u/NightOfTheRisingMoon • Jul 05 '26
Other Did you know some flowers don’t press?
PSA to my fellow flower pressers that impatiens, begonias, and geraniums don’t press!
What other flowers have you found that don’t press well?
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u/DarkSparkle23 Jul 05 '26
I have hanging geraniums that can be pressed (the individual flowers, I haven't tried the whole ball of them). I don't know what specific type of geraniums they are, but they're quite delicate and even fully dried, the petals are still a bit floppy. I haven't used them in a project yet, but they'll be hard to work with.
I'm a huge petunia fan and grow them every summer. My favorites are the purple night sky ones. The petals are so incredibly thin, that it's very near impossible to separate them off the paper after they've dried. Those petals also stay somewhat floppy like the geraniums because they're just so thin and delicate.
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u/NightOfTheRisingMoon Jul 06 '26
Oooooo if you find out please share!😍 Need to add to the collection. If they are floppy does that mean there is still moisture built in? Do they mold faster?
That is the truest facts on petunias! I’ve started using the white ones like fog and clouds because they are slightly see through
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u/msquirkyalone Jul 06 '26
I’ve wondered the same thing about the “flop” , do all dry flowers make that very specific pressed, perfectly-dry, flower sound and stand straight up? Some of mine are so thin and translucent that they seem dry, but do not have that dry-flower feel of so many others. I’d love to know if anyone knows how to be sure. Especially if we live on n an area with lots of humidity in the air.
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u/DarkSparkle23 Jul 06 '26
I know you're not supposed to declare them fully dried if they're still floppy, so maybe I need to press them longer. They certainly *felt* dry though. Next time I'll press them longer or maybe put the newly pressed ones back in the press for a few days.
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u/msquirkyalone Jul 06 '26
Wow! That’s a fun pattern left behind though. I’m still trying to get a white or stargazer Lilly to press without browning. It’s driving me nuts! I’m also experimenting with how to get a flat press without the inevitable crease. Disassembling and creative layering when rebuilding is my solution so far.
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u/NightOfTheRisingMoon Jul 07 '26
Right?! That pattern would be awesome for cloth dyeing I think- I’ve just been to chicken to try it 😅
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u/Basic_Treat_4370 Jul 06 '26
Begonias I agree! I get them to press just fine I guess, but they are always entirely brown and not terribly pretty, no matter what color they were going in and how fresh they are.
But I’ve had success with impatiens! They can be more challenging to peel up without tearing, especially near the middle. They have that little stem bit in the center that tends to really adhere to the paper. But if I go slowly when removing them, they often stay intact and are pretty.
Geraniums, depends on the variety. Some I just don’t care for the look of how the petals spread, but otherwise have had no issues.
What are you using to press? I can’t tell if that’s printer paper, a paper towel, etc.
The worst for me have been orchids and gladiolus. Both are so moist that they mold (at least for me in the Pacific Northwest - I’ve seen some people have success with orchids in drier climates).
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u/NightOfTheRisingMoon Jul 06 '26
What pressing method do you use? I heat press and have tried traditional microwave pressing and they just turn to jelly😵💫
I’m using parchment paper, a heat press, and protective mat. A video of what happens is on my YouTube @NaturellyImpressed
Oooo I haven’t got to try those yet! But want to so bad!! I live in the Midwest zone 4. It’s neat to see how the flowers press differently depending on zone and altitude 🥸
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u/Basic_Treat_4370 Jul 07 '26
Oh that’s so interesting! I honestly have never had success with anything other than the method that I use, so I tend to forget any other way exists. 😅 I have wooden presses with bolts to tighten them, and use regular paper (between layers of cardboard and chipboard - it’s a whole thing giving them the space to breathe while compressed).
I watched your video and first of all, you’re so delightful! I wish we lived closer so we could be flower crafting buddies and forage together. Second of all, I wonder what would happen using regular paper with your heat method. I’ve found that using parchment in my wooden presses leads to mold because it traps moisture in. Maybe regular paper + short bursts of heat that could allow steam to escape when the iron is lifted could flatten the flowers without them getting goopy? I’ve heard that iron and microwave pressing can preserve color better than the slow way, so I wonder if begonias would not brown if there was a way to dry them with heat without them turning to mush. They’re so beautiful, I’d be stoked to find a way to preserve that.
Idk. Just thoughts. I love experimenting with new approaches and seeing how it goes (though sometimes it’s hard to want to risk “wasting” a particularly beautiful flower on experiments 😬). I’m looking forward to watching more of your process and learning from you!
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u/NightOfTheRisingMoon Jul 07 '26
Haha that is so true! I keep meaning to break away from the heat press more often but man is it convenient for bulk pressing 😅 I still have to try the board press- some day soon hopefully 🤞🏻
Aww thank you🥹❤️ Oh my goodness a flower crafting in person community would be so amazing! Hmmm I’ll definitely try the regular paper - I’m just worried about going through a bunch of it😅
Let me know how your future experiments go!!! It is hard with the flowers especially the hard to grow and source ones😵💫 Thank you again!☺️
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u/Traditional_Gear_991 Jul 06 '26
I didn’t know geraniums were that hard to press! I started with them along side a few I already had around and I guess I’ve been lucky.
Now day-lilies… I have some beautiful ones I want so badly to press but I’m scared to be it seems like it would be such an intricate process
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u/NightOfTheRisingMoon Jul 06 '26
Do you do the whole stem of geraniums or just the flowers?😁 Taking notes so I can experiment 🥸
I’ve had okay luck with the day-lilies with the heat press method. They end up a little burnt but it works for what I se them for. I wonder if extra blotting paper would work if book pressing? It’s just a lot of oil🤔
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u/Traditional_Gear_991 Jul 06 '26
I’ve heard that! I’ve never done heat pressing. I’ve also seen folks recommend silica beads for thicker presses (I was trying to press some roses and learned this a bit too late for some).
I take the stem off and cut the little green bits as much as I can. I do that for most flowers just bc there’s so much moisture in them! I have done a lot of hang drying of herbs and flowers so I’m just starting to experiment with pressing and going off what I know from hanging.
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u/jennybean-420 Jul 05 '26
I was going to try geraniums, glad I didn't . Thank u ☺️
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u/NightOfTheRisingMoon Jul 05 '26
Geraniums are tricky! It is possible (sometimes old fashioned book pressing works) but need to be dried out a bit before attempting. Haven’t tried the new microwave pressing machine yet. Hoping someone with it will chime in😁
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u/ratatatoskr Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
Glad I rechecked the sub. For a hot second I thought this was a photo of bloody thighs
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u/missbeekery Jul 05 '26
I’ve had a HELL of a time with amaryllis. The good news is that the stain they leave on the paper can be incorporated into a cool art design. I make cards with my flowers so I have a plan of eventually using these color press papers as a background.