How to preserve a rose?

Roses are one of the most popular flowers used for gifting and other purposes since they last for a longer period of time and have pleasant fragrances. People send rose bouquets for several occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, for parties, to congratulate a person for an achievement. Roses are also extremely popular for valentine’s day and other occasions where they are sent to indicate the admiration or feelings for the recipient. Like other flowers, the rose will usually wither after a few weeks and disintegrate. Hence individuals who have received roses from a person they like or respect would want to find out how to preserve a rose.

Preserving roses

Preserving the rose will allow the recipient to be able to access the rose whenever he wishes, to remind him of the event or the sender. The roses are usually sent in a bouquet and available in different colors and variants like red, yellow, pink, white, purple and blue. While red roses are the most popular roses, other shades are also now available. There are multiple options for rose preservation, which vary in the time, effort required, materials required. Depending on how much the user values the rose, he can choose a suitable option from the difference which is discussed below.

Silica gel

For those who are willing to spend more time and money for preserving the rose, silica gel can be used. A small container should be used for keeping the rose since less silica gel will be required. The rose should be completely covered with silica gel and the container should be closed with a lid, so that no air enters the container. The container should be kept aside for a few weeks. In case, the user cannot wait for some time, he can microwave the container. The silica gel is then removed from the container, and roses removed. A sealant spray is then applied to the roses to preserve them better.

Using a book

Those who do not have the time and money to purchase silica gel and other materials, can use one or more books for preserving the rose. The book should be a heavy book with a large number of pages and preferably with a hard cover. The stem of the rose should be cut to a smaller length, preferably a one inch or similar length. The rose should be completely dry before keeping it in a book. To prevent damage to the pages of the book absorbent paper should be used to cover the rose on both sides. The book with the rose should be covered with more heavy books to create more pressure on the rose.The absorbent paper for the rose should be removed after one week and replaced with new papers. The rose should be dried using this method for at least three weeks. Alternately the rose can be dried using an iron.

Air drying

The cheapest method of preserving roses is by air drying them. The rose should be tied upside down in a dark, dry and warm area for a few weeks till they lose all moisture. The preserved roses are brittle and should be kept in a glass box or dome to prevent damage.