Floral Musings
A collection of writings on florals,
memories, inspiration and life on the farm.
Mindful harvesting & winter wreath making
How can we approach wild harvesting in a mindful, regenerative way while gathering winter wreath materials? Rebekah shares her best tips on how to respect the earth while gathering from it’s bounteous beauty.
What is mindful harvesting?
Stepping out on the land… feeling grass and soil underfoot…
Immersed in birdsong flowing across the meadow, with the soft caress of the wind on my face…
The beauty of the wild fills my soul.
Again and again I am called back, inspired anew each time through the art of wildcrafting florals.
Wildcrafting with conifers
Some of my favorite wild trees to be in relationship with as a mindful harvester are the pines and cedars. The grounding scent brings to mind scenes of pleasant times past, visiting my Grandmother’s home on the Cape. Entering the Cape, the landscape shifts and old pitch pines cover the sandy earth. The trees there feel old and comforting, greeting me with open branches each time I visit. Fallen needles create large beds of brown and red needles, inviting me to lay close to the ground.
After the leaves of the deciduous trees have all fallen in the crisp autumn winds, the pines and cedars catch my attention with their showy green sprays of needles. As winter approaches, I shift my attention from putting my flower farm to rest for the season and towards the beauty and pageantry of the holidays. Wreaths, garlands, swags and winter arrangements await…
Time to go harvesting!
When in the presence of the great conifers and forest trees, you may wonder about incorporating some of these fine tree materials into your own flowering or wreath-making process. But how to harvest mindfully from these old trees is such a deep question.
An attitude of gratitude
I start by calling up my own sense of reverence and respect for the trees I am interacting with… not to come in as an extractor of nature’s beauty, but to work in partnership with the wild. My first few minutes are dedicated to observing the place and the web of life present there. Trees not only share oxygen, but they also offer shade from the sun and breaks from the wind, while holding together the soil. In quiet observation, I appreciate the interplay of life that I am stepping into.
Regenerative harvesting
Next, I search for regenerative points of interaction where I can be of benefit to the landscape. Recent freshly fallen, windblown branches make for great gathering opportunities.
Are any branches or saplings rubbing against each other and competing for light? Looking for areas that would benefit from thoughtful thinning can offer a win-win both for forest and wildcrafter alike. When pruning, aim to move around the tree to avoid cutting from only one specific spot. Start with the low understory, gently pruning by not leaving the branch tips exposed, rather, cutting down the branch stem to the next branch node.
Selecting a variety of trees to forage from is key to making a beautiful wreath or arrangement. The greater the variety, the more textures you have to create with. Gathering a small amount from a variety of trees also reduces pressure on any one individual tree.
For smaller pieces, I check to see if there are low hanging branches, or an understory with branches, that may be shedding their needles already. These simple practices help me actualize the saying, “Take to only take what you may use, and always leave more than you take.”
Most of all, while you’re harvesting, take many moments to stop and connect with nature. She is medicine.
If you’d like to join me in creating a beautiful winter wreath,
register for this season’s special Wreath-Making Workshop,
December 4th, 2022 in Wallkill, NY.
Spaces are limited.
Wreath Making 2022
Learn how to make your own winter wreath.
Wreath making in the winter season
It’s the time of year when the flowers have gone and the leaves from the trees have long fallen. The branches are bare, and the air is becoming more and more crisp. Many have already received their first deep frost and here in the Hudson Valley this year, the cold evenings are settling in and the first snow has just fallen.
The prettiest sights now are the evergreens.
The smell of pine needles beneath my feet with their rich brown color awaken something in me. So does the peely soft bark of the cedar trees and fresh blue juniper berries as they have such a familiarity as if I’ve known them a long time. I often want to add a sprig of juniper here or there in our summer bouquets, but I hold off!
Everlasting conifers are the toughest of the softwood trees and it is amazing how they can withstand the coldest of climates. Imagine the reddish dark bark of the ponderosa pines of Colorado standing strong right now no matter the heaviest snows or strong winds.
Learn how to make your own wreath with us during our annual Wreath Making Workshop!
December 4, 2022 from 2-5pm at The Greenhouses at Audrey’s Farmhouse.
We will be using evergreens such as balsam, spruce, pine, fir, juniper, magnolia and more.
All of these fragrant materials will be woven into wreaths.
Enjoy the wreath making process, play your favorite music for creativity, pour yourself your favorite beverage, invite a friend and plan to spend hours on your wreath making. Using your hands to work on a very ancient project is quite satisfying especially with your own hand selected materials.
Where I Find Inspiration
Where I find inspiration for my floral - and life - work.
Where do I go to look for inspiration?
Being a floral artist is an inherently a creative endeavor. You must be able to visualize your creation, gather ideas, and ultimately, bring your imagination and inspiration to life. For me, this means working very closely with our couples, and their unique vision of their special day. Together, we go through a process of discovering the intention, feelings, goals and dreams for the occasion. Being in tune with my own sources of inspiration helps me facilitate this process for others.
Here’s a little window into how I look for inspiration. This can be applied to all kinds of nascent, creative projects. I’ll walk you through building a mood board and through how to uncover what ideas, feelings, and desires resonate most deeply within your project.
Where do I go to look for inspiration?
I try to make it to the beach several times a year. The fall and winter are a mighty fine time to visit—especially for us as our wedding season ebbs and flows and we have little pockets of time during the off season when we can get away. I am making a point this year to add visits to the ocean and different landscapes as often as we can.
And when I get there, I scan the landscape for rich color tones within the plants dunes and sandy earth. I guess I’m trying to imprint these beautiful landscapes and natural colors in my mind. I want to hold onto them and remember them all while breathing in the richness of the seaside salty air. I’m honestly reveling in the fact that we have actually made it to the beach. We’ve gotten out of our own way and now I’m furiously absorbing the colors and taking pictures to capture what I cannot take with me as the sun continues to arc across the sky.
When on the beach, I might pocket a few of the sweet smelling fragrances from nature’s objects of the sea…..collections of rosebuds, sea shells, stones, matte sea glass, little bits of ochre seaweed, the perfect clam shell, shiny abalone, soft green shiny pebbles, dried flowers and leaves. You can find amazing textures and colors from the elements aging. Sometimes I practice just looking without taking, cherishing it’s placement on the earth.
I have several paintings of seascapes in our home. Each painting is so dear to us - and each location a little bit different. I especially love my Grandmother’s oil paintings of Cape Cod’s seaside.
I was called to use this painting while making a mood board and to my surprise uncovered a lot of feelings that spoke to me from this Homer painting. I decided to aim to capture the essence of this painting and put together a little ode to the painting. I am calling this its mood board. But call it what you like. It was a really fun exercise to capture the feelings of a painting and turn it into something new.
Have you ever wanted to invoke the feeling in a painting? It starts with an inspiring image. This little postcard is a Winslow Homer painting called Girl Carrying a Basket, 1882, Watercolor over graphite. Sometimes you might not realize why a certain piece of artwork resonates with you until you sit with it awhile. I’ve had this postcard forever pinned to my bulletin boards in all the different houses we have moved into and out of, and still this postcard floats around, following me. I love it and I don’t even know why exactly.
What feeling resonates with you when you look at this this painting? For me, I get a sense of longing and of wandering in the dunes. The girl has a beautiful stance with an eternal gaze cast upon the ocean. You can feel the vastness of the ocean she is looking at. I imagine she lives by the sea. And what a life that would be to be engulfed in the sea salt breeze upon waking!
Here are the steps I use when creating a mood board in response to a painting, enjoy!
Opening
Aim to capture the feeling in a painting or photograph by making a physical mood board in response to the work of art.
Process and Integration
Incorporate the inspiration piece in the mood board. Notice the colors and textures present in the painting. Gather items that resonate with the painting. Identify the feelings and what you’re drawn to in the painting: I’m drawn to the mood of the girl and the story within her gaze. She may be looking for someone and she feels grounded.
Reflection
Color wise, I want to bring about the warm colors of the sand and dunes. The rosy hues of the dried roses give a nod to Rosa rugosa (beach rose) which is not pictured, but you get the sense that the plants are close by. The little crab legs in the mood board still have sand stuck on them. And the seagull feather reminds us there are birds flying overhead. Let yourself dream. She reminds me of myself descending the dunes at Sea St. beach when I was young. The little flowers in the mood board evoke the knowing nature of her expression and the casualness of an afternoon walk along the beach and just – pausing for a moment.
Take Away
When working with our couples, we love to ask how they want to feel on their most special day. We ask our couples to lean into the experience they want to share with their guests and what it means for them. We ask what is most important about their day. We strive to bring this feeling into our planning sessions and floral creations.
Identifying the intentions around one’s vision can truly impact and inspire the event to flow and become a seamless celebration for all. Where do you go to find inspiration? Leave a note below as I’d love to hear.
5 Things to Know About Flowers for Your Wedding
The top 5 things to know about wedding flowers.
5 Things to know about wedding flowers
Flowers last best in water, out of direct sunlight over long periods of time, and in moderate - cool temps as opposed to sitting outside out of water in the heat of the day.
When using your bridal bouquet for your First Look hours before your ceremony, here’s how to take care of your flowers. Let your florist know exactly when your first look will be and check with your photographer about your timeline. You don’t need your flowers hanging around hours before that on your most special day unless they are stored in a cooler on site. Once you are ready for your First Look, take great care here as you don’t want any water droplets on your wedding dress or silk ribbons. We take the bouquet out of the jar for you and dry off the stems before handing you your bouquet. Then oh, the smiles!
A good boutonniere will hold up on its own out of water and last for hours if properly conditioned by a florist on her end.
Choosing local and seasonal flowers for your wedding means you have a way better chance of receiving fresh flowers that will last VS. out of season flowers shipped in from far away. Imported flowers go through shipping as well as holding before they make their way into the florists hands. When you work with a grower or florist who values using seasonal and locally grown flowers who supports flower farms in her region, then you are not only supporting a small business that feeds the soul of many peoples lives but you are also getting the freshest of the fresh in terms of product quality. That my friends means everything! The flowers are singing with brightness, romance and vitality. All the ephemeral beauty can shine forth because the flower will have been harvested at the perfect stage of plant development - not too early or late.
We will do everything we can to bring about the colors, tones and textures of your floral vision for your most special day. That means we will be working with nature by using flowers that are thriving at the time of your event within your floral color palette and aesthetic.
Which Flowers Are in Season May - March
A round up of some of our favorite spring wedding flowers.
Spring brides have a variety of seasonal flowers available to them. Spring flowers are bright, cheerful flowers in a wide range of perfect pinks, pretty purples and blues.
Spring flowers include flowering bulbs, such as tulips and hyacinths. Peonies are available from late spring to early summer; they are the favorite flower of many brides (as well as our team.) Another popular spring wedding flower is the Hyacinth. The fragrant flowers of the Hyacinth come in shades of red, blue, white, orange, pink, violet, or yellow.
Stephanotis, freesia, stock, tuberoses, sweet peas and English Garden Roses bring the outdoors in and their soft scents are a treat for the senses.
