Preserving greenery has become somewhat of a hobby of mine. I love the fact that they don’t require the maintenance of a houseplant, yet possess the same feel of one with their waxy green leaves.
If you are unfamiliar with preserved leaves, picture this: you have two magnolia leaves. One you have let dry as it is, one you have preserved. When you bend the leaves, the one that is not preserved will crumble into tiny, flaky pieces. The preserved one is pliable and waxy to the touch. When kept inside and spritzed with water once a month, preserved greenery will stay beautiful for several years.
Every Christmas, I preserve branches from the Leyland Cypress in our backyard. I use them throughout the holiday season to make garland for all around the house.
This week, I am preserving some magnolia leaves for some topiaries I am planning to make. Want to give it a try? This is how I preserve mine:
Use two parts very warm water to one part glycerin (you can buy glycerin here.) I like to mix it in a small tub so I know it is mixed thoroughly. I then add a significant amount of green food coloring. This will give the leaves some color.
I first cut the the stem in half length-wise.
Next, I take a hammer and gently “smash” the ends of the stem. (This helps the stem absorb the liquid and carries it up into the leaves.)
Submerge the stems in the glycerin mixture and let it sit for 4-6 weeks (or until it evaporates.) You will see the leaves changing to a darker shade and different texture as they are preserved. Today, I decided to take advantage of this waiting period and made an arrangement. It amazes me that something so simple looks so striking when properly grouped together!
Love this !!! Can’t wait to start preserving my magnolia leaves! Thank you for sharing!
I am so glad to hear that! Who would have thought it would be so easy?
Ordered and received the glycerin! How much water do you put in the tub? 3/4 full?
Yay! I can’t wait to hear how it goes! So I err on the side of caution. I take my mixing cup and go slowly, making sure my proportions are on par. Truthfully, you can likely ballpark the amounts and still be successful! I usually have enough to cover the “roughed up” tips of the stems at least. The important thing is to make sure the stems are able to “drink” it. Save your extra glycerin for the holiday season!
Hi! We have magnolia trees everywhere! As our home address is magnolia st
If I do this now will it take 4-6 weeks , am I too late?
Girl, I’d be stopping all the time to cut some branches! Ha ha! One faster way to preserve leaves only is to lay them in the glycerin solution in a tray without the stems! Leaves only! Then cover it with another tray and weigh that tray down (I use river rocks) and it will only take about a week for them to be preserved! That’s best for garland and wreathes. 🙂