Hi all,

The idea came up in another topic, and it may be useful to others who did not read it.

Sometimes small plants in your garden, can be used as miniature trees, with or without the natural leaf material. After a while they go brittle, but there is a way to make them last (20 years?).

Natural products such as small plants can be easily preserved, by keeping the stems for 24-36 hours (or longer (you can experiment) in a 1:1 mixture of glycerine and water.

This acts like a bowl of flowers, where the stems soak up water. In this case, the glycerine softens the woody stem, and creates longevity in its natural resins and cellulose.

Glycerine is available in small bottles from your local chemist. It is a medicinal product for soothing throats (good for public speaking), and tastes like honey.

After you have removed them from this mixture, allow to dry for 24 hours. Then you can use glue and foliage material to enhance the look if you need to.

regards
Kimball