RETURN TO SENDER
by Michael Webb

Have you ever received flowers from someone? Most of us have. Do you throw them out when they begin to wilt? Most of us do.

Why not consider saving those flowers and returning them to the one who sent them? Sound rude or strange? Actually, it can be quite romantic.

There are a few different ways you can prepare the flowers for their journey back to their giver.

* Take some of the flowers and press them between sheets of wax paper in the pages of a dictionary or other large book. It will take several weeks or months for the flowers to properly flatten and dry, but the results will be worth it. Then you may want to frame the blossoms behind glass, create a card and glue them on the front or iron them between two pieces of laminating paper to be preserved forever.

* The second way to preserve flowers is to remove the blossoms from their stems and dry them to make potpourri. There are several ways to dry whole flowers or just the petals. You can do it with an oven, microwave, silica crystals (found in craft stores) or simply air dry them. You may want to check out a book from the library that would give instructions on drying flowers and perhaps a book that would give some recipes on making potpourri. You can put in whole spices like cinnamon and cloves or dried orange peels for additional fragrance. Many craft stores sell oils that can be added to dried petals for an array of smells.

* A third way of preparing flowers for a return shipment is to make a dried flower arrangement. Again, you may want to consult a book on how to dry flowers. I have had good success with drying whole flowers by hanging them upside down in a dark, dry closet for a couple of weeks. It is important to begin the process before the petals begin to fall off the flowers. Once the flowers are dry, arrange them (or have someone help you if you have no talent in this area) and put them in a vase. You can buy an ordinary vase or search flea markets or antique stores for an old teapot or brass pot to go with your arrangement.

* The fourth way you can return the flowers to their sender is to save all the petals and return them in a crystal bowl or vase. A friend of mine dried the petals from all the roses her boyfriend had given her and they looked strikingly beautiful in a crystal vase.

These gifts are not the same as buying potpourri or a dried flower arrangement from the store down the road. These are gifts that have history and meaning. You received these flowers, adored and cherished them and then took the initiative to preserve them for everlasting enjoyment.

If fresh flowers can enable one to feel the warmth of someone's love, imagine what returned flowers can do.
 

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