Flower-Pressing to Understand Our Bees

Flower-Pressing to Understand Our Bees

We love anything that celebrates nature in all its beauty. This month, we are exploring the creative activity of flower-pressing and how it helps us better understand our natural world.

So let's get into it!

Picking the Right Flowers

First, you must always have permission to pick the flowers you find from the landowner.

If there are more than 20 types of a flower in an area, it is appropriate to pick one for yourself and is known as the "1 in 20 rule".

This means their beauty is left for others to enjoy and supports the plants' survival.

Smaller flowers will also press better, while larger ones tend to take longer to dry out and can mould due to their high-water content.

For further information, the Botanical Society has the official guidelines for responsibly collecting flowers in the UK and Ireland.

How Do You Press Flowers?

You can press flowers with a flower press, which uses two layers of wood to apply even pressure. Another way is to raid your library for your biggest books!

Here are the 5 simple steps to press your flowers:

1) First, take the flowers you have responsibly picked and place them in newspaper between your book pages/flower press pieces.

2) Arrange them in a good composition and close the book/press onto them with an even pressure.
Fred Rumsey, a well-known museum botanist, tells us that this even weight across your pressed creations and the paper contact stops the plant parts from being exposed to air and shrivelling.

3) Add additional books or weights to your book or press and store them in a warm, dry place.

4) Remember to check on them daily, and when they are dry, you can gently remove them.

5) You can choose how you want to display and use your flowers.

Some ideas include:

• A greeting card for a loved one by glueing them to some card.
• A herbarium sheet, including the plant's name, where it was and who picked it.
• Coasters or trays.
• Flower-pressed jewellery or jewellery boxes.
• Art pieces to hang around your house.

Why Should We Press Flowers?

By pressing flowers, we are not just creating beautiful crafts but also playing a crucial role in bee and flower conservation. Bees rely on flowers for their food, and by preserving their beauty, we can learn about our plants, indirectly supporting our pollinating friends and our food system.

Exposing ourselves to the beauty of our meadows and gardens through flower-pressing not only helps us mentally, but intellectually is it allows us to better understand and appreciate our natural world.

Sir David Attenborough says it best in his quote:
"No one will protect what they don't care about; no one will care about what they have never experienced."

We can learn so much from our plants growing locally around us, and this helps us care for the bees whose habitats and food sources are being ripped away from deforestation, pesticides and climate change.

You can find more inspirational quotes we live by here at Beevive in another of our blog posts.

Why not make flower-pressing a family affair? Involve your loved ones in this craft project, creating unique cards or your own herbarium sheets. It's a wonderful way to bond and appreciate the amazing plants growing right on your doorstep.

Have fun!