Man shares his 15-year hobby

Readers will find more than just books at the East Meadow Public Library this month. Marvin Eilenberg, a 58-year resident, graciously opted to share his extensive dried flower display.

After moving to East Meadow, Eilenberg planted a small rose garden and, on a whim, entered a few select buds in a yearly contest held by the Long Island Rose Society. The newbie won a few ribbons and, he said, decided to become a member. It was through this society that he learned about dried-flower arrangements.

Eilenberg has been drying flowers for 15 years now and while he does not sell his creations, he does enjoy sharing his craft with others, and often receives rave reviews from onlookers. While nearby homeowners stop to gaze at his Garden Street yard filled with dahlias, roses, and amaranths, others write notes praising his work.

A guest book at the library is filled with messages dedicated to Eilenberg. They read, “Thanks so much for sharing your gift. It’s a real blessing; Wow, this is really amazing; Thanks for making my trip to the library even more interesting.” Other viewers described the display as “inspiring” and “exquisite.”

It only takes a few weeks for a flower to dry using silica gel, a white powder with blue crystals that preserves a flower’s shape and color, but, Eilenberg said he often leaves his unattended for years.

On a recent day he opened a container labeled Nov. 4, 2011. It revealed a few tiny, yellow mums and one pink rose. “I always like to see how it comes out,” he said. Later, he’ll create an arrangement.

When asked what inspires the presentations, he simply said, “I just do it.” The process requires dexterity and stable fingers as he twists wire around a pick pressed against a stem. “It’s tricky, [but] my hands are still pretty steady,” he said.

Raised in Paterson, N.J., Eilenberg said he grew a vegetable patch in front of his childhood home and worked on a farm in Fair Lawn before heading to college at Texas A&M University where he studied poultry husbandry. He left the land and worked as a manufacture representative before retiring about 12 years ago, but he couldn’t stay away from the garden.

The dried-flower arrangements only last a couple months, Eilenberg said, but he hopes to purchase a display case for his home and move his finished pieces from the basement to the living room.

Eilenberg’s dried-flower displays have been featured at libraries throughout Nassau County and will be shown at the East Meadow Public Library throughout September.