What To Do with Valentine’s Day Flowers

“Memory is the treasure house of the mind wherein the monuments thereof are kept and preserved.” ~ Thomas Fuller

Valentine’s Day is almost past and those beautiful flowers will be a distant memory. But they don’t have to be. You can keep those lovely memories in a tangible form by preserving those beautiful blooms another way. Welcome, Friends, to the Blog today for a look at keeping some of those memories for another use.

“Memory is the diary we all carry about with us.” ~ Oscar Wilde

When the flowers start to wilt and their beauty is diminishing pluck the blooms from their stem and separate the petals. You can see how the beautiful color remains. This just takes a few seconds to do.

“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.” ~ L.M. Montgomery

The next step is to set up an area to dry the petals. I use a drying rack and spread a screen bought at Lowe’s on the rack. I have a couple of screens that fit different levels and add them as needed to the rack. The rack goes into a spare bedroom out of direct sunlight and the petals are scattered across the screen.

“Memories may fade as the years go by but they won’t age a day.” ~ Michelle C. Ustaszeski

Spread the petals in a single layer and allow them to dry naturally. You can add petals to the screen as your flowers start to wilt. As they dry the petals begin to curl in upon themselves but they still retain their color.

Here I’ve added a second screen to accommodate additional petals. Drying time depends on air conditions. The warmer and dryer the air the faster the petals will dry. It usually takes just a few days. You’ll know when they are ready.

“The most beautiful things are not associated with money; they are memories and moments. If you don’t celebrate those, they can pass you by.” ~ Alek Wek

Now that the petals are dried they are ready to be displayed or stored until they are needed. You can see how the petals retained their color. Here they are displayed in an antique wooden bowl.

These are stored in a crystal bowl.

“Some memories are unforgettable, remaining ever vivid and heartwarming!” ~ Joseph B. Wirthlin

These are the petals from about 5 roses. You end up with quite a few petals when they are dried.

“We didn’t realise we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.” ~ Winnie the Pooh

The petals on the left are fresh and the ones on the right are dried. I store these in air tight containers and use them for potpourri. Mixed with other petals, a little ground orris root and some floral scents they will make a beautiful potpourri. You can put them is small sachet bags and have them amongst your clothes or linens. Of simply have them displayed in bowls to freshen the air.

“Memories and thoughts age, just as people do. But certain thoughts can never age, and certain memories can never fade.” ~ Haruki Murakami

Every time you look at the petals you will bring back the lovely memories of a Valentine’s Day shared with those you love.