How Do I Stop Pressed Flowers From Fading Over Time?

A lot of people ask me how they can stop their pressed flowers and foliage from fading with the passing of time. It’s something that I worried about when I first set up Meadow and Thyme, as I didn’t want customers to get upset when their purchases faded and browned over the years. The honest answer is that when you work with a natural material such as flowers, they will fade and change with time, and it is beautiful!

For me, pressed flowers get more and more interesting as they fade to gorgeous vintage tones. It’s such a mindful process to observe; a gentle reminder that nothing stays the same and that change is entirely normal and something we should embrace. As a pressing fades, it takes on new character, it tells new stories, and it perfectly demonstrates the notion that it is a privilege to age and grow old. This is where my Vintage Collection becomes particularly enticing; by pairing pressed flowers with stunning vintage frames, these pieces evolve and mellow over time and increasingly exude vintage charm as they age.

I’m always completely open about the fact that I work with natural materials and they will fade and brown with time - it’s clearly detailed on every piece I sell so that customers know exactly what to expect. Some pressed flower artists ‘colour correct’ their pressings, essentially colouring them with paint or pastels so that the colours remain. This isn’t an approach that I’m interested in - it can hide the subtle details and depths within the pressings and doesn’t truly celebrate the ephemeral beauty of nature, but I do always encourage giving different techniques a go if they appeal to you.

By embracing nature and understanding that colour change is a normal and magical element of flower pressing, you’ll start to see the subtle changes over time with a new perspective; as a truly enchanting and captivating part of creating with natural pressed flowers.