Based in Brisbane, Australia, Maree of Marigold4evaflowers brings a deeply personal touch to flower preservation. With a background in social work, she understands that behind every arrangement is a person, a relationship, and a moment worth remembering. What began as a way to hold on to something precious within her own family has grown into a business dedicated to helping others keep their most meaningful flowers close. For Maree, the beauty of preservation lies not only in the finished piece, but in the story that each flower continues to tell.
In Conversation with Maree
Hi! My name is Maree and I am the creator and owner of Marigold4evaflowers. I am based in Brisbane, Australia and service whole of Brisbane, Gold Coast and Ipswich areas. My professional background was in Social Work and helping people so I take extra personal care to flower preservation knowing that flowers are usually preserved for personal reasons.
1. What keeps you passionate about flower preservation?
I love every step of the flower preservation process. From the moment a receive someone special flowers, I love documenting their journey. I take before photo’s of the flowers so that they are remembered for what they were, record each moment of the preservation process from drying to resin pouring. I love highlighting the flowers stories reflecting their owners stories.
2. Tell us about your very first flower preservation order
My first flower preservation is deeply personal to me and to my family. When my beloved Nonno passed away, he asked for 100 red roses on his casket.. he loved flowers, and he loved giving flowers to people… I watched each family member take one and thought there had to be a way to capture there beauty representing my Nonno’s life… so I looked into flower preservation services which all seemed impersonal to me. So I decided to research the process and teach myself…time was of the essence as the flowers were already a few days old and had been sitting in the sun. I found Wisedry on Amazon which would ensure next day delivery and I was able To dry 40 of the roses perfectly. From there I practiced with resin starting off small pieces working my way up to display blocks… My sister had her wedding the same year and wanted her flowers to be mixed with my Nonno’s roses. I documented my journey on my Instagram page and organically people started asking me to preserve their special flowers and that’s how Marigold4evaflowers was created
3. Tell us about a meaningful flower preservation project
I always feel a special connection to memorial keepsake flowers as I always get taken back to the emotions I had preserving my Nonno’s flowers. One in particular recently a lady lost her father and husband within a week of each and her granddaughter gifted her some yellow roses. When the roses got to me they were already half air dried. It was very clear these flowers held extreme emotional and sentimental value so I took extra care to dry them out fully and create something beautiful for this lady. I had some already dried flowers that worked beautifully with the rustic yellow and created a beautiful piece of artwork that she can display in her home.
4. What has your experience with Wisedry been like?
Wisedry is the first and only product I trust to dry precious flowers. I was sold from the very first time drying my grandfathers memorial flowers that I wouldn’t need to try anything else. It’s easy to use, easy to store and easy to reuse making it great value for money. I also use the Wisedry silica bags in my shadow box frames and when sorting flowers I through in some of those tiny bags to keep my flowers dry until I’m ready to use them in resin.
5. What’s one tip you’d give someone preserving flowers for the first time?
Preserving flowers is so much fun and an amazing creative outlet. There’s something so special about knowing you dried out those flowers yourself and been apart of every step of the artistic journey. Doing your research is extremely important to flower preservation and watching how others do it was extremely helpful in my journey. The fresher the flowers the better they preserve yes this is true….. however you can always find creative ways to make all flowers, no matter how they dry look beautiful, it’s a part of the journey. The flowers will guide you.
