At-Home STEM Activities: Wildflower Pressing
National Wildflower Week 2020
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia)
Since this week is National Wildflower Week, we’re spending the week looking at the plant world! National Wildflower Week takes place each year during the first full week of May, when wildflowers across the country are in full bloom. This week-long celebration was started by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. The Center uses native plants to restore and create sustainable, beautiful landscapes. Its mission is to inspire the conservation of native plants through gardens, research, education, consulting and outreach programs. In this blog post, we will learn more about the importance of wildflowers and try out a fun activity using some that we discover while exploring outside!
Why Wildflowers?
Wildflowers are great for the environment. They are extremely easy to grow and are a low-maintenance way to add lush color to any sunny spot. These flowers need little watering once they have rooted and are very important to Earth’s pollinators. Wildflowers give bees, butterflies and hummingbirds nectar to eat all season long. Despite their name, wildflower do not necessarily need to be wild. A wildflower is just a flower that has not been genetically manipulated by humans. A fun way to learn more about wildflowers is to plant your own wildflower garden at home. Not only are these gardens are fun to grow and care for, you will also be giving back to the environment!
Preserving Wildflowers
Wildflowers are sensitive and quickly wilt after they are picked, but these beautiful flowers can be preserved by pressing or drying. In this activity, you will go out into nature and find your own flowers to press. Flowers that are dried and presses can be used later as decoration or in craft projects. I found my flowers walking through my families garden. If you opt to go on a nature walk through the woods, the United States Forest Service recommends choosing only flowers that you know are common, and to not pick them unless there are lots of them.
For this activity you will need:
Scissors
Basket or container to put your flowers in
The wildflowers you collected
A heavy book or two depending on how many flowers you collect
Paper towels or cardboard to fit between the pages of the book
Something heavy (like a rock or brick to weigh the book down)
A table or cupboard in a warm dry room to leave your press
Gold Guniea Japanese Rose (Kerria Japonica)
1. Wait for a sunny, beautiful day to conduct your nature walk! (I took a stroll through my families garden to find some flowers, so I did not limit myself to just wildflowers). Bring your scissors and basket with you on your nature walk. Cut any flowers you see along your walk. I tried to pick the most colorful. These flowers will dry out, so the darker colored flowers you choose, the brighter the colors will be in the final product.
2. Collect all the flowers you would like in your basket and bring them inside to press.
3. Trim your flowers to the correct size to fit in the book you have chosen to press them in. If you are worried about your books pages, place a paper towel or thin piece of cardboard between the pages.
4. Fit your flowers in the pages the way you would like them and place your heavy object on top of the book. It will take as little as a week for the flowers to dry out. Check back on your flowers every few days to see their progress.
5. Be careful with your flowers once they are pressed! Some are paper thin. These dried and pressed flowers can be used as decorations or in future craft projects.
Take the Activity Further
Try out these other activities suggested by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to celebrate National Wildflower Week!
