Making a pressed flower collection

Most people have at some time been enchanted by the exquisite beauty of plants — whether foliage or flowers — and wondered how they can be preserved and at the same time retain their loveliness. About 400 years ago a method was discovered, so simple and effective, that anyone with the minimum of equipment can successfully undertake it.

This technique called pressing involves squashing the plant between sheets of absorbent paper until completely dry. The flattened and dried plants can then be used in two distinct ways; firstly in artistic crafts such as decorating lampshades and candles or making pictures and greetings cards, and secondly for making a herbarium — a hobby that may become a life-long interest.

What is a herbarium? A herbarium is a collection of pressed plants stuck either onto separate sheets of paper or into a book such as a scrap-book or exercise-book; information about each specimen is written alongside. Anyone can easily make their own herbarium, but before making a start it is necessary to decide what types of plants are to be included because the choice is so wide. Is the whole plant or only part of it to be pressed? Interesting and attractive collections of leaves or blooms are simple to make and only take up a small amount of space. A good way to start, however, is to make a collection of plants that grow in the garden; cultivated ones (you must get permission to pick these) as well as weeds.

Most people who collect and press plants tend to specialize in certain types such as flowers of only one color, or plants of one sort such as ferns, or only plants growing in a particular habitat such as woodland, moorland or at the coast, or perhaps those growing at a holiday site which could be a fine souvenir of a pleasant vacation.

Having decided which types of plants are of interest, the first thing to do is to collect them. If (as is usually the case) the roots are to be included, removing them from the ground may be difficult. Often they will come out when the plant is pulled, but if not, a pocket knife or small trowel will usually help. Knock off any soil and put the plant in a polythene bag, which helps to keep it fresh and stops it wilting. At the same time as the plant is collected it is a good idea to make some notes about it in a pocket book; trying to remember details later can be very difficult. The information to be noted can be anything of interest but should include details of when and where collected and also the type of place, such as woodland or in a meadow. Also important, of course, is its name. If this is not known, it can usually be found in one of the many books on plants and flowers. In order to avoid confusing their notes, when collecting several different plants at one time, have small tags or pieces of paper that can be tied onto the plant with string; these can be numbered (use pencil or ballpoint pen) and the same number should be included in the notes when these are being made. Never use the same number twice; give your very first plant the number '1' and then continue from there. After several years you will probably be in the thousands!

Having collected your plants, the next stage is to press them. The absolute minimum of equipment needed is only a few sheets of old newspaper and a heavy book. The plant is put between two sheets of paper on a hard, flat surface and the book placed on top. This is then left for a week or so until completely dry. However, this is only really suitable for one or two specimens; if more are to be prepared at one time a proper press is required. This can be purchased ready-made, but a simple version can be made quickly and cheaply at home. First decide how big it needs to be, probably the same size as the sheets of paper on which the pressed plants are finally to be stuck; an ideal size is about 25cm x 40cm (l0in x 16in), which is big enough for most plants but not too large or heavy. The press consists of two identical wooden lattice-works built up from 3cm x 1cm (11/5in x 2/5in) prepared timber which is glued and pinned, or even riveted, into a right-angled trellis-like construction and then varnished. Nylon cord, webbing or leather straps are used to close the press tightly and exert the necessary pressure. To use the press, one of the wooden frames is placed on the table and a few sheets of absorbent paper or newspaper, trimmed to the same size, are placed on top of it. On this is placed a similar sheet of folded paper with the plant in it, which is then covered with a sheet or two of plain paper. Continuing in this way, you will gradually build up a stack of specimen-containing and plain absorbent paper alternating until all the plants are included or until the whole bundle is about 25cm (l0in) high. Finally a few sheets of plain paper are placed on the top and the second wooden frame placed on this. This is tied very tightly with the straps or string and left to dry for a week or slightly longer.

There are four ways to speed up the drying process and thus reduce the risk of mildew. First, don't put too many plants in the press at one time. Secondly, include some sheets of corrugated cardboard among the sheets of paper in the press; this helps the air move around the plants and removes the moisture. Thirdly, change the paper in the press when damp; every day at first, but after a few days this is necessary only every second or third day until the plants are dry. However, do not change the folded paper that the plants are actually wrapped in, because if you try to move the plants before they are dry, they can easily be damaged. The fourth and last way is to put the press in a warm dry place such as an airing cupboard.

In order to make the pressed plants look attractive it is necessary to spend some time arranging the leaves, flowers and stems neatly before putting them in the press. This is usually easily done, but for some small plants a pair of tweezers and a needle mounted in a wooden handle will make the job easier. Large plants may need to be folded, trimmed or even pressed in two or more separate pieces.

When completely dry the plants can be removed from the press and mounted for display and reference either on separate sheet of stiff paper or in a suitable book. To fix them in place they can be stuck down by using a suitable water-based glue, such as polyvinyl acetate (PVA), which is obtainable from all do-it-yourself shops, or as an alternative, they can be held in place by using narrow strips of paper across the stems and leaves; these strips are attached to the mounting paper with a water-soluble glue — never use sticky tape as this is not at all permanent. Copy out the notes that were made when the plant was collected, either directly on the paper the plant is now fixed to, or on a separate label to be put next to the specimen; don't forget to include the plant's name!

Finally, there are some important things to remember when collecting plants. If possible, ask the landowner's permission; he will appreciate this and may well tell you where the best plants grow. If a plant is uncommon, perhaps only a few are growing at the site, do not touch, but admire and leave for others after you to enjoy. Why not photograph the rarer plants? Some of our rarest plants are in fact protected by law and if uprooted or picked a heavy fine can be imposed. You must never take any plants from Nature Conservancy land or nature reserves. However, in most places there are no restrictions and, providing you act responsibly and use your common sense, pressing plants and making a herbarium can be a most rewarding and enjoyable hobby.