If you have flowers from a wedding, funeral or another special occasion and they have already started to wilt or dry, you may be wondering whether it is too late to preserve them.
Perhaps your wedding bouquet has been sitting in a vase for a few days. Maybe you have returned from your honeymoon and realised you would love to keep your flowers. Or perhaps you have been holding on to funeral flowers because you were not ready to part with them.
One of the questions we are often asked at Nogard Creations is whether flowers can still be preserved once they are no longer completely fresh.
The simple answer is that it depends on the flowers and their condition.
Flowers naturally change over time, and there are many factors that can affect whether they are suitable for preservation. However, wilted or dried flowers are not always beyond saving, and it is always worth getting in touch to discuss the options available.
Is it too late to preserve wilted flowers?
Not necessarily.
Flowers do not suddenly become unsuitable for preservation the moment they begin to wilt. The condition of the individual flowers is much more important than simply how many days have passed since they were given to you or used at your event.
Some flowers may still be suitable for preservation even if they are beginning to soften, droop or show signs of age.
Other flowers may deteriorate more quickly and may no longer be suitable for the type of keepsake you had originally hoped for.
There are several things that can affect the condition of flowers, including:
- How long ago the flowers were cut
- How they have been stored
- Whether they have been kept in water
- The temperature they have been exposed to
- How much they have been handled
- How they travelled after the event
- The natural characteristics of the individual flowers
This is why it can be difficult to give a definite answer without seeing the flowers.
If you are unsure whether your flowers can still be preserved, sending photographs to us can help us assess their current condition and advise you on whether preservation may still be possible.
Can you preserve flowers that have already started drying?
In many cases, dried flowers can still be preserved.
However, this depends greatly on how the flowers have dried.
Flowers that have been professionally dried or carefully dried using an appropriate preservation method may be suitable for creating resin keepsakes or framed displays.
Flowers that have dried naturally in a vase may also still have preservation options, although they can become fragile and may have changed considerably in colour and shape.
Once flowers have dried, they are often much more delicate than they were when fresh. Petals may become brittle, and stems or flower heads can be more easily damaged.
For this reason, dried flowers need to be handled carefully.
If you already have dried flowers that are particularly sentimental, it is worth contacting us before attempting to move, package or alter them yourself.
Can naturally dried flowers be preserved in resin?
In some cases, yes.
Resin flower preservation requires flowers to be completely dry before they are incorporated into the finished piece. This means that professionally dried flowers are often suitable for resin preservation.
However, naturally dried flowers may have a different appearance from flowers that have been dried using a controlled preservation process.
They may have:
- Darkened in colour
- Lost some petals
- Become misshapen
- Shrunk as moisture was lost
- Become fragile or brittle
This does not necessarily mean they cannot be used.
In fact, naturally dried flowers can still make incredibly sentimental keepsakes. The finished piece may simply reflect the flowers as they are now rather than how they originally looked when they were fresh.
When preserving sentimental flowers, the story behind them can be just as important as their appearance.
What if my flowers are already completely dry?
If your flowers are already completely dry, there may still be plenty of options available.
Dried flowers can potentially be used in a variety of resin keepsakes, depending on their size, condition and how fragile they are.
Larger flowers may be suitable for display pieces, while smaller flowers or petals may work beautifully in smaller keepsakes.
Even if some flowers are too delicate or damaged to use as complete blooms, there may still be petals or sections that can be incorporated into a meaningful piece.
This is why we always recommend keeping the flowers together until we have had the opportunity to discuss your options with you.
You may be surprised by how much can still be created from flowers that you thought were beyond saving.
What should you do if your flowers are starting to wilt?
If your flowers are still fresh but are beginning to wilt, the best thing you can do is get in touch as soon as possible.
Taking clear photographs of the flowers can allow us to see their current condition and give you advice based on what we can see.
Try not to throw away any flowers or petals, even if they no longer look as fresh as they did originally.
Different flowers can behave very differently during preservation, and what may look like a damaged or unsuitable flower could still potentially have usable petals or sections.
If you are planning to send your flowers to us, it is also important to package them correctly to reduce the risk of additional damage during transit.
What if some flowers are in better condition than others?
This is extremely common.
A wedding bouquet or funeral arrangement may contain several different types of flowers, and they will not all age at the same rate.
Some flowers may still look relatively fresh, while others may have already started to deteriorate.
This does not necessarily mean the entire arrangement cannot be preserved.
Depending on your chosen keepsake, we may be able to use the flowers that are in the best condition and incorporate other suitable elements from the arrangement.
For example, a larger display piece may use the best-preserved flowers, while smaller keepsakes could potentially use individual petals or smaller blooms.
Every set of flowers is different, which is why flower preservation is not a one-size-fits-all process.
Can old wedding flowers still be preserved?
If you still have your wedding flowers, it is always worth asking.
Many people do not discover flower preservation until after their wedding. By that point, their bouquet may have been sitting in a vase for several days or may already have started to dry.
At Nogard Creations, we do not require you to have pre-booked your flower preservation before your wedding.
If you have only recently decided that you would like to preserve your bouquet, contact us as soon as possible and send us photographs of your flowers.
We can then discuss whether they may still be suitable for preservation.
The sooner you get in touch, the more likely it is that there will be options available, but we would always rather you ask than assume it is too late.
Can you preserve old funeral flowers?
Funeral flowers can be incredibly sentimental, and understandably, many people struggle with the thought of throwing them away.
Sometimes the decision to preserve funeral flowers is made immediately, while other times it may only be considered days or weeks later.
If you still have the flowers, whether they are fresh, wilted or already dried, it is worth getting in touch to discuss them.
Photographs can help us understand their condition and consider what may still be possible.
Even when flowers have changed significantly from their original appearance, they can still hold enormous sentimental value.
A preserved keepsake can become a way of holding on to a small part of the flowers that were chosen in memory of someone special.
Why you should not assume it is too late
One of the biggest mistakes people can make is assuming their flowers cannot be preserved and throwing them away without asking.
While it is true that flowers can eventually deteriorate beyond the point where they are suitable for certain types of preservation, there is no harm in asking.
Even if your original idea is no longer possible, there may be another way to use the flowers you still have.
A complete flower may not always be suitable, but individual petals, smaller blooms or sections of the arrangement could still potentially be used to create something meaningful.
The options available will depend on the flowers themselves, but sentimental flowers are always worth asking about.
How to find out if your flowers can be preserved
The easiest way to find out whether your flowers may still be suitable for preservation is to contact us with clear photographs.
Try to include:
- A photograph of the full bouquet or arrangement
- Close-up photographs of the individual flowers
- Details of when you received or used the flowers
- Information about how they have been stored
- Whether the flowers have already started drying
This gives us a much better understanding of their current condition.
From there, we can discuss whether preservation may be possible and what types of keepsakes may work best with the flowers you have.
It is always worth asking
Whether your flowers are from a wedding, funeral, anniversary, birthday or another special occasion, their sentimental value does not disappear simply because they have started to wilt.
Fresh flowers are temporary, but in some cases, even flowers that have already begun to change can still become part of a lasting keepsake.
If you have flowers that you are unsure about, do not assume that it is too late.
Take some photographs and get in touch with us.
At Nogard Creations, we specialise in preserving wedding, funeral and sentimental flowers into resin keepsakes and framed displays. We accept flowers delivered to us in person and flowers sent to us by post from anywhere in the UK.
Whether your flowers are still fresh, beginning to wilt or already dried, we are always happy to discuss what preservation options may be available.