Natural flower preserving process

A method for preserving flowers, the method comprising:

• (a) preparing the flowers for preservation, the preparing the flowers for preservation comprising:
• selecting the flowers;
• cutting the flowers;
• immersing stems of the flowers in water;
• separating each of the stems from a remaining portion of each of the flowers, the remaining portions of each of the flowers comprising the non-stem portion of the flowers;
• assembling a supporting device, the supporting device comprising at least one grid, the assembling the supporting device comprising:
• placing each of the flowers in an opening of the at least one grid;
• and
• assembling the at least one grid on a central axle of the supporting device, wherein the at least one grid is placed at a distance along the central axle from an adjacent grid, the distance sufficient to prevent the flowers from being crushed by an adjacent grid and dependent on a height of the flowers;
• (b) implementing a first dehydrating step, the first dehydrating step comprising:
• filling the supporting device with flowers;
• placing the supporting device into a reactor;
• filling the reactor with a first mixture until the flowers are immersed in the first mixture, the first mixture comprising a water-miscible solvent and water, wherein the first mixture comprises more than 70% water-miscible solvent;
• maintaining the first mixture at a temperature between approximately room temperature and 100° C. for the time period, the time period comprising at least thirty minutes;
• extracting the first mixture from the reactor;
• (c) implementing a second dehydrating step, the second dehydrating step comprising:
• filling the reactor with a second mixture until the flowers are immersed in the second mixture, the second mixture comprising a water-miscible solvent and water, wherein the second mixture comprises more than 80% water-miscible solvent;
• maintaining the second mixture at a temperature between approximately room temperature and 100° C. for the time period;
• extracting the second mixture from the reactor;
• implementing a third dehydrating step, the third dehydrating step comprising:
• filling the reactor with a third mixture until the flowers are immersed in the third mixture, the third mixture comprising a water-miscible solvent and water, wherein the third mixture comprises more than 90% water-miscible solvent;
• maintaining the third mixture at a temperature between approximately room temperature and 100° C. for the time period;
• extracting the third mixture from the reactor;
• (d) optionally repeating the third dehydration step by progressively increasing the water-miscible solvent content in the mixture until virtually all water initially contained in the flowers has been replaced;
• (e) implementing an infiltration step, the infiltration step comprising:
• immersing the flowers in a bath mixture comprising
• a mixture of colorants;
• an infiltration mixture comprising a water-miscible infiltration solvent and water;
• a polymer soluble in the colorants and infiltration mixture;
• and, optionally,
• other substances aiding to give the flowers a desired color;
• and
• (f) implementing an evaporation step, the evaporation step comprising the bath mixture being removed from the flowers and the infiltration mixture being evaporated in a vacuum or by applying an evaporating temperature.