Does anyone know how to preserve an Orchid bloom?

[beqq valQIS]

I have a Phalaenopsis. I was wondering if there is anyway that I can preserve a bloom off of it. I want to have it look as natural as possible & show off the color of the flower.

I had heard about putting flower blossoms in glycerin years ago.

So, has anyone done this & how did you do it?

[WhiteRabbit]

[PaphMadMan]

There are flower drying kits that use silica gel. I'm sure a web search will find plenty of info.

[theroc1217]

Try using Borax and corn starch!

I have a phrag that is in the habit of dropping the previous bloom right after the new one opens, so I'll have a few more opportunities to try it.

[Discus]

I suspect the really "lifelike" flower preservation probably takes some kind of crazy resin, probably also some antibiotic and antifungal, and perhaps some kind of antioxidant compounds.

There is a detailed manual on glycerine technique in this PDF: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/mf2446.pdf

I have also heard of using glycerine to preserve flowers. The challenge in the long term is to prevent colours fading.

Using "drying" kits like silica gel won't work that well with orchids, which are quite "fleshy" compared to many other flowers.

Freeze drying and embedding in resin might also work, but suitable methods are beyond home use. (I remember colleagues in my student days freeze drying small invertebrates for examination under SEM, so it doesn't distort things too badly; they used a CO2 method).