Preparing for the season that blooms

What do I bring to the creative table?

Welcome to my wee corner of Substack. I am a seasonal artist living on the Isle of Arran, off the west coast of Scotland. I am the custodian of approximately two acres of land that includes a woodland, a meadow and my wee garden. I offer a seasonal book arts project for paid subscribers if you are interested and you can read more about that HERE. Grab a cuppa and lets delve into our relationship with the shifting seasons…

Summer is the season that blooms and in my world I need to be ready. I thought I would share what I get up to in late May to be sure I am ready for this creative burst of activity. Over the years I have regularly added to my tasks as my creative work has evolved but, in recent years, my preparation moves beyond the creative into my broader life. In this piece I touch on some of that as well.

Task One

I have pressed flowers since I was four years old and I now have six flower presses to prep. Every year I refresh the papers as plants have their own set of viruses and I keep transfer to a minimum. I always find some pressed flowers from the previous year that I had forgotten were there and these always feel like a gift. I use pressed flowers in various ways to include my mixed media work, for cards and tags and book covers and in my handmade paper.

Task Two

I clear my drying screen. I have a wee wicker room divider that I use as a drying space in my studio. It is out of the midday sun so works well for me. I dry flowers all year round as autumn and winter sees me drying seedheads and some herbs for wreaths. I use dried flowers to make Tussie Mussies as random acts of kindness and leave them around the island to be found. I also gift them to folk who need a wee lift. They are the perfect gift for someone who is poorly as they really lift the spirits. Tussie Mussies were invented in Elizabethan times and each flower holds its own message. It is the combination of flowers that tell the full story. They were very popular in Victorian times.

Task Three

I clear out my potpourri tins. I make my own potpourri using petals from my garden and essential oils. You need a carrier for your essential oils and I use Orris root powder. Less is more in the making of potpourri as essential oils have real strength and mature over time with a gentle shake from me each day. I leave my batches to mature for at least three weeks. There is always some left over in the tins at this time of year and I keep that for our own home. I make potpourri for my Etsy store and it is always very popular.

Task Four

I clear my drying racks. I make my own racks using old picture frames and muslin stretched over them and stapled down to secure. I dry a lot of herbs and individual petals on the racks. Over time you learn which flowers are best on the rack and which ones on the screen. I used the dried petals in my potpourri but I also used them in my wellbeing recipes from sleep pillows to skin care to tintures and teas. At the moment I am underway preserving mint and dandelion leaves from my winter teas and I also have wild rose petals on there for my potpouuri. My drying racks work incredibly hard for me.

Task Five

I restock my florist box for the year ahead. I used to grow flowers commercially and do weddings and working with cut flowers remains one of my favourite things to do. Now I just do the odd small wedding or celebration on the island via word of mouth. Being able to use flowers grown on the island tells a beautiful story.

Task Six

I review all my stored plant material to check it is in good order and compost anything that I need to. I use recycled jam jars for my collection and I thought it might be useful to share the current list and what I use them for -

All of these are dried -

• lavender - potpourri and sleep pillows for Etsy store and home

• rose petals - as above plus soy room fragrancers and some of my Etsy parcels

• heather stems - decorative on my Etsy products

• calendular - potpourri, sleep pillows and skin care

• mint (various types) - sleep pillows, potpouuri and tea

• rosemary - cooking and hair rinse

• oregano - cooking

• sage - cooking and smudge sticks to cleanse my home and sell on Etsy

• lemon balm - potpourri and tea

• lemon verbena - potpourri and sleep pillows

• nettle seeds - sprinkle on salads, soups and stews

• chamomile - sleep pillows and tea

• wildflower harvest - potpourri

• bay leaves - cooking and wreaths

I also hang dried hydrangea flowers in my kitchen. To dry them you first need to pop them in a couple of inches of water and let that evaporate slowly.

Task Severn

I clean out all my plant dyeing and printing pans and utensils ready for a summer of dyeing and printing. I dye fabric, cotton yarn and paper with plants from my garden and I print with leaves as well. I use an old fish steamer for my printing and some very old and heavy pans for my dyeing. I use the fabric and paper in my work and sometimes in kits on my Etsy store. I also make botanical ink to use in my own work.

So, it is good to be prepared as once summer is underway I need to learn to multi-task just for a few short weeks and not forget that I have a dye pan on the stove! However, I am never closer to the natural world than in summer as we also grow some of our own food. I am always mindful of the wee bees at this time of year especially the worker bees. They are happily busy going about their tasks and so I am. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Until next time, Fiona xx

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