Most flowers preserve beautifully when freeze-dried -- but there are definitely some flowers that need a little help:

  • The most problematic flower in bridal bouquets is Stephanotis. Florists love to use it -- it's expensive! Brides love the look because the florist usually puts a pearl in the center (which, we admit, looks very classy). There are two problems with it:

    • Stephanotis doesn't like to be handled. If you touch the flowers at all, the petals turn brown.
    • In order to put that pearl in the center, the middle of the flower is removed, destroying its integrity. Since there is nothing left to support the sides of the flower, it dies very quickly. In 99% of bouquets, stephanotis will need to be replaced. We can do that for you at the wholesale cost of the flower (which is typically 1/3 to 1/2 the retail cost -- about $0.50 per blossom)


  • Another problem flower is the Gardenia . They're beautiful. They smell heavenly. And like Stephanotis, they love to turn brown if you handle them. They're very difficult to keep pristine -- and the difficulty increases with the amount of handling they're subjected to between the grower and your bouquet. The best solution, almost always, is that they be color enhanced (which means "sprayed with white floral paint"). It works -- but if you want beautifully preserved flowers, please don't consider an entire bouquet of Gardenias and Stephanotis!
  • Alstroemeria is a different kind of problem because the sides of these tiny funnel-shaped lilies are so delicate they tend to collapse. Fortunately this flower is only used during the spring! We grow it ourselves, and still rarely get a perfectly dried stem. We encourage replacing it with Freesia . . . not so dramatic in color, but much more reliable for preserving.
  • Strangely, Tulips (another spring-only flower) are also a problem. The sturdy petals of the Tulip are naturally a bit waxy on the exterior. This prevents water from evaporating properly during the freeze-drying process, and causes little blisters to form on the outside of the petal. There are some tricks we've learned to make freeze-dried Tulips look decent -- but they're not the best flower for preservation.
  • Finally, most all greenery needs help with its color. It likes to silver out during the drying process. Nothing a little "color enhancing" can't correct !