Flowers may not be available all year round, but when you preserve them, as in dried flowers, you have at your disposal a wide array of magnificent cost-effective means of decorating. When you preserve flowers you do not only recycle natural materials and not only exercise your creative juices. With dried flowers you can make the beauty of flowers available, regardless of season.

How do you preserve flowers? Here are some things you should know when it comes to preparing dried flowers:

• The first step in preparing dried flowers is to choose the appropriate materials. Not only should the flowers have aesthetic value, the blossoms should also be picked at the right time. Flowers should not be picked in the afternoon because they’d be too dry at that time. The best time would be early morning-just after the dew is dried.

• Once the flower is dried, most of its original color fades away. Thus, coloring is done either to fortify the original color of the flower or to alter the original color to suite the required composition. Coloration of dried flowers can be done by painting with artificial color, or by color absorption or by using citric acid. On the other hand, decoloration is done so that the original colors of the flower lose color until it becomes white. Thus, when the artificial color is applied, the new color is absorbed faster by the flower. Sodium hypochlorite or sodium chlorite is used to decolorize.

• Fungi can cause flowers to rot and wilt. Air drying thus entails treating the flower with fungicide. Flowers which are treated and colored are then tied with a rubber band and hung upside down to dry.

• Compared to air drying, oven drying is a better but expensive way of preparing dried flowers. The flower is hung upside down at 40 deg C then at 45 deg C until it is perfectly dry. Clear aerosol is then sprayed to make it more attractive.

• For roses, orchids and carnations, dry them in the microwave with a silica gel to hold the flowers in place for three minutes using medium-high heat.

• Pressed flowers will look lovelier as the originals. Before pressing the flower, place it in between two sheets of paper or blotting paper with the iron set to low heat and pressing down steadily for a few minutes.

Remember that the beauty of a dried flower is anchored on how it was prepared. The aforementioned steps may be easy but, when in doubt, it’s best to seek the experts.

For your decorative endeavors, whether it’s using dried flowers or their fresh counterparts, try the services of Schusters Of Texas. This is your best bet for everything floral. They have 50 years of service to back that up.

Go on. Indulge yourself in dried flowers and see beauty last for a lifetime.

Dried flowers are generally easy to grow. Plus once they’re dry, you don’t need to rush to sell them, like you would fresh cut flowers. With good care, they can keep in good condition until you’re able to sell them. That’s one of their biggest appeals to growers.

As with any type of flowers you grow, make sure they grow up healthy! First, they need a good soil mix. Only use organic materials, such as organic fertilizers. These simply work better than chemical fertilizers. The plants are able to grow at the appropriate rate with less stress. Don’t forget about putting some mulch in your nursery to help stop the threat of weeds. If your flowers are fairly exposed, such as they’re not in an area near a tree or building, consider planting some tall shrubs nearby that can be cut. Also, you’ll want to stop the threat of those pesky pests. Get some insecticidal soaps, pyrethrums or Neem. Healthy plants can lead to profitable plants.

So what kind of money can you make selling flowers? Flower growers make, on average, $20 to $30 an hour growing flowers. It’s really that easy.

So when it comes to dried flowers, how can you get ahead? First, be sure to pick the right kinds. Here are some that are especially popular:

Artemisia – this is heavily used as a filler material that can provide a nice backdrop for other flowers. It is a hardy perennial that grows quickly.

Baby’s Breath – this is also widely used as a filler material in arrangements of flowers. Generally, it is recommended you grow that perennial variety rather than the annual, as the perennial is more colorful.

Delphinium Larkspur – these have a wide range of colors from blue to purple to pure white. The annual variety is generally easier to grow.

Lavender – thanks to its vivid smell, these can make for an ideal addition to any bouquet or wreath. Plus these need very little attention.

One great thing about these four everlastings is that they can be air dried, which makes it very easy for the grower. There are many other everlastings that can be air dried as well, including: Strawflower, Statice, Money Planet and Love-In-A-Mist.

So where can you sell these dried flowers? There’s a long list of places, such as: farmers’ markets, hotels and restaurants, roadside stands, mail-order sales, fundraisers, directly to florists and more. Try a few out and see what works best for you.