What Flowers Are Good for Pressing?

Viola

• The dainty flowers of viola (Viola tricolor) are ideal for pressing. Violas are smaller versions of pansies, and are one of the parent flowers used in their development. They even have a "face" similar to that of pansies, which is still evident after pressing. Pressed violas are small enough to use as embellishments on stationery, invitations or gift cards.

Cosmos

• Cosmos have daisy-like flowers, but their ray-petals are squared at the terminal ends, radiating from a yellow center disk. Pick cosmos for pressing soon after the blossoms open, as the center disk continues to raise as the flower ages. The most common colors of the variety Cosmos bipinnatus are pink, maroon and white. In addition, the finely cut, lace-like foliage of cosmos is also easily pressed and adds another dimension to craft projects using pressed flowers. Another variety, C. sulphureus, has flowers in shades of red, orange, gold and yellow, and is also suitable for pressing.

Queen Anne's Lace

• Related to the common carrot, Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) is a popular flower for pressing. Its tiny flowers are borne in clusters, radiating from a central point similar to an umbrella, as is typical of flowers in the Umbelliferea family. Entire clusters are cut and pressed as a single unit. The open, airy, lacy effect and larger size make pressed Queen Anne's lace a good contrast to other pressed flowers dried as single blossoms.

Single Zinnia

• A variety of zinnias (Zinnia elegans) with a single row of petals are suitable for preserving by pressing. They resemble daisies with short ray petals, and they are often bicolored in shades of pink, red, white, yellow, gold and rust. Avoid using the cactus-flowered zinnias with many rows of petals. They are too thick to be pressed and will most likely develop mold during the process.