The art of FLOWER PRESSING
Turn beautiful blooms into lasting pieces you can enjoy all year round
Spring might get all the attention, but autumn is also a stunning time in the garden, with beloved favourites like daisies, pansies, marigolds and asters now
owering. If you’ve tried ower pressing before without success, it might be that you tried pressing the wrong
owers or were using the wrong techniques. Lulu Mayo explains how to create perfect, everlasting blooms.
HOW TO USE A FLOWER PRESS 1
Pick a ower that is in full bloom. Avoid owers that are already wilting or have blemishes. 2 Once you have picked the
owers, make sure they’re dry. Wet or dewy owers can become mouldy during the pressing process.
3 e ower press consists of two pieces of wood that you will tighten together like a vice using bolts and wingnuts.
ere are also pieces of cardboard in between the wood boards to help distribute the weight when pressing the
owers. Assembling the press is similar to making a sandwich. First, lay two cardboard pieces on top of one of the wooden boards. Next, place a piece of blotting paper on top of the cardboard. Blotter paper can be regular printer paper, at co ee lters or newspaper.
4 Arrange your ower petals on the blotting paper and place another piece of blotting paper on top of the owers. Sandwich on the other two pieces of cardboard and
nally place the other wooden board on top.
5 While holding the press together, carefully insert the four bolts into the press. Secure the bolts in place using the wingnuts. 6 Tighten the press until the wingnuts no longer turn. Leave your owers in the press for two to four weeks, depending on the size of your owers and the humidity level.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS •
Avoid using paper towels as blotting paper as their texture can transfer to your pressed petals.
• Do not use wax paper as blotting paper since it does not help extract the moisture from the owers and can cause them to mould.
• When placing owers in your press, space them out and try
to avoid overlapping for best results.
• Press your owers as soon as possible after picking them.
is will help them retain their colour.
• Unfortunately, many types of white owers and petals often turn brown when pressed.
This is an edited extract from the Beautiful Botanicals Flower Press Kit by Lulu Mayo (Chartwell Books, $49.99).
CHECK YOUR USAGE
Are you paying for data you don’t need? Go into your provider’s app and see exactly how much data you are using each month – you might be surprised to find you’re paying for much more than you need. Now shop around and find out how much other telcos charge for that amount of data – there is quite a price range. Before committing to a switch, make sure that the telco you choose provides the right network coverage for your area.
THE NEED FOR SPEED
When choosing an NBN plan, the cost isn’t the only consideration. Make sure you get the speed that suits your needs, especially if you plan on downloading and streaming. Some internet providers reduce speeds during peak hours. There’s nothing more frustrating than slow speeds when you’re trying to watch a new episode of your favourite TV show!
LOOK FOR PERKS
Investigate what your provider can offer in terms of perks. For example, some of the bigger telcos offer rewards points where you can get discounts on devices or points in association with airlines. It’s worth weighing whether these are worth it. One perk travellers will need to know about is the availability of international roaming and how much it costs. Some telcos are now providing the service for $5 a day.
READ BEFORE YOU SIGN
Be sure to read the contract before signing. How long do you have to stay on the plan? Are there penalties for leaving early? Website moneysmart. gov.au advises that you can download a free critical information summary (CIS) for each plan on the provider’s website that “explains what your new plan is going to cost and what you’ll be getting for your money”.
When consumers are fighting to get their hands on newly launched pharmacy beauty products, you know there’s something to it. Touted as a global sensation, the new No7 Future Renew range has landed in Australia after international retailers watched one product get sold every two seconds following launch. Fifteen years in the making, the new range contains a world-first peptide technology (Pepticologytm) that supports the skin’s natural repair process to help visibly repair the obvious signs of skin damage.
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