Seeds that Germinated The Seasonal Collection
I love plants, flowers . . . all things that grow. The Seasonal Collection is an extension of this passion.
Originally, many of the pressed materials in the Seasonal Collections were collected from walks along the Mohawk River. Well . . . actually the walks began as “runs.” The problem was that I was distracted so many times by the fields of Black-eyed Susans, wild clematis (Old Man’s Beard), dainty forget-me-nots, pearly silver dollars (Honesty), Queen Ann’s Lace, gold and crimson fall leaves, deep red sumac, exploding milk weed pods, and starry sweet woodruff, that I resigned myself to less morning exercise and more appreciation of the gorgeous landscape around me.
Oh yes . . . the river--without a word, it speaks to you of peace, constancy, and ever-steady course. How can one run past all of this beauty?
So I began with handfuls of river-walk-pickings. I filled the window sills with bouquets. One morning I pulled out a “weed,” just a blade of grass, while meandering along side the river. Ah-ha . . . wouldn’t it make a lovely card for my family and friends at Christmas? The maples were beginning to turn and that would add some color. So, instead of putting my collections in vases, I pressed them between pages of good books.
My mother saw what I was doing and offered a wonderful contraption her dear friend had made for her 40 years ago.--a flower press. The buckles were rusty, but after a few gentle yanks they succumbed and allowed me to loosen the straps around the flower press. I began taking out the pieces of cardboard to lay my leaves on them. To my surprise, laid out in two-dimensional perfection were 40-year old wild flowers. I had stumbled upon a treasure chest! You can see for yourself the mixture of the old and new in the products that you select. The old petals and ferns have faded, while the newer material has retained more of its vibrant color.
As my life wanders through this astounding planet, so too has the Seasonal Collection, that now features the astonishing botanical diversity around us.
Enjoy your piece of the Seasonal Collection!
--Wandering Jane
Originally, many of the pressed materials in the Seasonal Collections were collected from walks along the Mohawk River. Well . . . actually the walks began as “runs.” The problem was that I was distracted so many times by the fields of Black-eyed Susans, wild clematis (Old Man’s Beard), dainty forget-me-nots, pearly silver dollars (Honesty), Queen Ann’s Lace, gold and crimson fall leaves, deep red sumac, exploding milk weed pods, and starry sweet woodruff, that I resigned myself to less morning exercise and more appreciation of the gorgeous landscape around me.
Oh yes . . . the river--without a word, it speaks to you of peace, constancy, and ever-steady course. How can one run past all of this beauty?
So I began with handfuls of river-walk-pickings. I filled the window sills with bouquets. One morning I pulled out a “weed,” just a blade of grass, while meandering along side the river. Ah-ha . . . wouldn’t it make a lovely card for my family and friends at Christmas? The maples were beginning to turn and that would add some color. So, instead of putting my collections in vases, I pressed them between pages of good books.
My mother saw what I was doing and offered a wonderful contraption her dear friend had made for her 40 years ago.--a flower press. The buckles were rusty, but after a few gentle yanks they succumbed and allowed me to loosen the straps around the flower press. I began taking out the pieces of cardboard to lay my leaves on them. To my surprise, laid out in two-dimensional perfection were 40-year old wild flowers. I had stumbled upon a treasure chest! You can see for yourself the mixture of the old and new in the products that you select. The old petals and ferns have faded, while the newer material has retained more of its vibrant color.
As my life wanders through this astounding planet, so too has the Seasonal Collection, that now features the astonishing botanical diversity around us.
Enjoy your piece of the Seasonal Collection!
--Wandering Jane