[TomT]

I grow native wildflowers and have been searching for a good way to preserve their beauty for indoor display. Drying and pressing is fine, but they don’t hold their colors well and look…dried. I’ve seen daises/roses in blocks of resin that look good and vibrant. My question:

What is the method for preserving a full botanical specimen (roots to flower) in resin? Figure a size of 6″ x 12″ flattened.

My uneducated idea is to do a dry in silica gel, flattening without pressing completely, pour a thin layer of resin into a mold made to size, let set, lay the botanical onto the first layer and pour a second layer of resin to cover the plant, maybe another 1/2″. So the final product would be a clear flat block less than 1″ thick, encapsulating the botanical, which could then be framed for display.

Any and all help or guidance much appreciated. I grow these from seed and they’re worth spending the extra time and money to preserve their beauty for others and year-round viewing. Thanks.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Tom,

I think that’s as good a plan as any. You want everything to be as dry as possible so it doesn’t interfere with resin curing.

[Author]

Posts