How can I preserve collected plants in a book?

I want to do a a project where I collect plants, mosses, etc. from an old growth forest and press them in a book.



What is the best way to preserve them so they don't lose color or fall apart?

How can I preserve collected plants in a book?
The pressing process drys the plant as well as flattens it out. Old books are romantic and nostalgic for this purpose but not very practical. You should get two sheets of blotter paper, some news paper, and a very thick book. Cut the blotter paper the size of the book pages, cut the news paper the size of the book pages or a little smaller. When you pick some moss or a flower make sure it is a single plant or at best just a few. Open the book to the pages near the end. Place a piece of blotter paper down, then a piece of news paper, then place the plant on the paper as you want it to look, then put a piece of news paper on top of it, then the last piece of blotter paper. Close the book so that the thickest part of the book is on top of the plant. Let it press and dry for about a week. Do not open it a lot be patient. After a week take the blotter arrangement out of the book, set it aside and let it dry out for one day. Now get a regular piece of paper that you want to use. Get a flat piece of glass from an old window or something, also a formica counter top will do. Put some elmers glue on the counter top and add water to make it real runny. Carefully pick up the plant, place it carefully in the glue and then carefully place it on the paper the way you want it to look. Let it dry and then put the page into a notebook etc. Botanist press plants just this way and then keep in a storage building called a Herbarium. Come to St. Louis and vist the Missouri Botanical Gardens. They have a Herbarium that stores over 2 million plants. They have all been pressed and dryed in this fashion with plant presses. Some plants specimens are over 300 years old and you can still see green leaves, color of the flowers, and brown roots. Enjoy your plant collecting.
Reply:no idea about mosses, but for flowers and plants you can place them between 2 pieces of plastic and then place them inside a big fat book
Reply:Ask ur botany professor

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