Abstract: The process and product obtained thereby of obtaining substantially dried flower blooms and other natural predominantly carbohydrate products such as flower stems, leaves, other vegetable matter and insects, which substantially retain their original shape and color, comprising the steps of covering the substrate with particulate matter and then subjecting the covered substrate to a reduced pressure environment to remove most of the water from the substrate.

Abstract: The process of obtaining preserved flower blooms and other natural predominantly carbohydrate products such as flower stems, leaves and vegetables which are free standing and have a natural fresh appearance maintained over prolonged periods which comprises removing most or substantially all of the water present in the substrate, said substrate including naturally occurring active hydrogen compounds as part of its structure, exposing the substantially dried substrate to a cross-linking compound containing a plurality of groups which are complementary reactive with the said active hydrogen groups to form a high molecular weight three dimensional cross-linked polymeric network between the active hydrogen groups of said substrate and the compound containing said complementary reactive groups.

Abstract: The process of obtaining preserved flower blooms and other natural predominantly carbohydrate products such as flower stems, leaves and vegetables which are free standing and have a natural fresh and/or esthetically attractive appearance maintained over prolonged periods which comprises removing most or substantially all of the water present in the substrate, and exposing the substantially dried substrate to a thermoplastic elastomeric polymer capable of forming sparingly chemically linked or non-chemically bonded links with itself.The process enhances dried materials including most ornamental blooms such as roses, orchids, tulips, daffodils, lillies and many others, as well as more traditional, usually air-dried plants such as gypsophila, statis, eucalyptus, larkspur, strawflowers, cornflowers, caspia, horsetail (equisetum arvense joint grass), etc.