Rose petals can be dried & preserved in 3 ways. For do-i-yourselfers, they can easily be hung upside down in a cool, dry, dark place. While the petals will automatically lose the intensity & sometimes completely change their original color when being dried, sunlight bleaches out the color more so. This method requires more drying time as environmental conditions vary greatly. Color changes to be aware of are: Red tends to turn very dark blackish, white turns to a dead leaf brown, Yellow will often deepen it's yellow tone, Pink will deepen, Greens are if-y often turning brown or aged yellow, Blue/Lavender Purple can retain their color more when removed from the head & dried as a petal alone. These are rules of thumb but not always the case.

Silicon sand is a 2nd method for drying petals. When using this method be sure to remove the heads from the stems so that more can be placed in the container. Often times this method preserves more of the original color of the rose. Depending on the moisture level in the head of the rose, it could take a couple of weeks or months to dry them completely. Removing the sand to check on them (as curious as we are) inhibits the drying process & can even shatter delicate petals which defeats the purpose.

The best way to preserve rose petals is to freeze-dry them. This requires a special machine similar to a domestic dehydrator in how it works. These machines are costly and are best left to 'preservation enthusiasts'. One can remove the petals from the heads & use a domestic dehydrater. Caution: Use it sparingly and keep an eye on it. Allowing for ample air movement is key as well as NOT overdrying.

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