Bouquet preservation service, pressed flowers, bridal flowers
Pressed Flowers
Pressed flower craft consists of drying flower petals and leaves in a flower press to flatten and exclude light and moisture. Pressing flowers makes them appear flat, and often there is a change in color, ranging from faded colors to a greater intensity of vibrant colors.
The pressed flowers and leaves are then used for a variety of craft projects. They are often mounted on special paper, such as handmade paper, Ingres paper, Japanese paper, or paper decorated by marbling. With meticulous attention to detail each leaf and flower is glued onto a precise location. With a creative approach to the use of materials, a leaf becomes a tree and petals form mountains.
Washes of watercolor painting are sometimes applied to the backing paper before the pressed material is attached to it. It is also popular to mount pressed material on fabrics, such as velvet, silk, linen or cotton.
Petals and leaves can also be applied to wood furnishings using the technique of Decoupage.
The craft gained popularity in the Victorian era and has experienced a revival in the last 30 years or so. The Japanese use pressed plants to create Oshibana Art. Many books and websites with pictures and instructions have been published on the subject.
Bouquet of Flowers
A flower bouquet is a collection of flowers in a creative arrangement. There are different kinds including nosegay, crescent, and cascading bouquets. Flower bouquets are often given for special occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries. They are also used extensively in weddings. Traditionally the bride will hold the bouquet, and the maid of honor will hold it during the ceremony. After the wedding the bride will toss it over her shoulder, and it is believed that whoever catches the bouquet is the next in line to be married. This practice may be related to the Golden Apple of Discord myth.
Even before flower bouquets were used by brides in wedding they were used in a different form of art. They appeared as early as the 17th century and possibly earlier. Flower bouquets were captured in paintings and on pottery as decorations.
"The art of arranging flowers was first documented in the 17th century, when the Dutch, in particular, painted wonderful informal arrangements of flowers..."
"In the 18th century, arrangements were used to decorate the houses of the wealthy families and the aristocracy..."
In years past, as a matter of tradition, an upper class bride was required to hold a bouquet of roses or flowers as she walked down the aisle to prevent body odor from spreading and to drive away evil spirits.
Flowers
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds. The process begins with pollination, is followed by fertilization, leading to the formation and dispersal of the seeds. For the higher plants, seeds are the next generation, and serve as the primary means by which individuals of a species are dispersed across the landscape. The grouping of flowers on a plant is called the inflorescence.
In addition to serving as the reproductive organs of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans, mainly to beautify their environment but also as a source of food.
Many flowers have important symbolic meanings in Western culture. The practice of assigning meanings to flowers is known as floriography. Some of the more common examples include:
* Red roses are given as a symbol of love, beauty, and passion.
* Poppies are a symbol of consolation in time of death. In the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, red poppies are worn to commemorate soldiers who have died in times of war.
* Irises/Lily are used in burials as a symbol referring to "resurrection/life". It is also associated with stars (sun) and its petals blooming/shining.
* Daisies are a symbol of innocence.