1. The Hardware:

• A Standard Wooden Flower Press.
• Includes heavy-duty bolts, wingnuts, cardboard dividers, and blotting paper.

2. The Seeds (10 Full-Sized Packets):

• 💙 Forget-me-not 'Blue': The miniature classic. Sprigs of tiny blue flowers are the ideal scale for pressing. They dry quickly and keep their colour well.
• 🎨 Pansy 'Ullswater Deep Blue': The classic pressing flower. Velvety, deep blue "faces" that dry perfectly flat and hold their rich colour.
• 🌸 Cosmos 'Sensation Mixed': Large, open, paper-thin petals in pinks and whites that dry quickly to a translucent, stained-glass finish.
• ❄️ Ammi Majus: Creates stunning, intricate white silhouettes that look like snowflakes or skeleton leaves on paper.
• 🍒 Achillea 'Cerise Queen': Flat-topped plates of tiny cherry-pink flowers that preserve their vibrant colour beautifully.
• 🌼 Calendula 'Oopsy Daisy': Dwarf plants with creamy petals tipped in orange. Press individual petals for a confetti effect or the whole head for a sunburst.
• ☁️ Gypsophila 'Covent Garden': The essential filler. Tiny white button flowers on fine stems that add delicate detail to pressed arrangements.
• 🌌 Nigella 'Blue' (Love-in-a-mist): Starry blue flowers nestled in fine, ferny foliage. Both the flowers and the leaves press into exquisite shapes.
• 🧊 Osteospermum 'Sky and Ice': Crisp, clean white daisies with a striking blue eye. Their flat shape makes them easy to press successfully.
• ☀️ Californian Poppy 'Golden West': Silky, satin-textured petals that press to a vibrant, translucent golden-orange.

Creating botanical art is simple if you follow the rules:

1. Pick when Dry: Never pick flowers in the rain or morning dew. Moisture causes mould. Pick on a sunny afternoon.

2. The Sandwich: Unscrew your press. Place a sheet of cardboard, then blotting paper, then your flower, then blotting paper, then cardboard. Repeat the layers.

3. Tighten: Screw the wingnuts down tight to apply even pressure.

4. The Wait: Leave them for 2-4 weeks in a warm, dry room. Do not peek! Patience guarantees the best colour retention.