Tips for preserving flower garden goodness -- Celebrate the fall equinox!

The fall equinox can be a bit bitter sweet. It is (or can be) the height of abundance in the garden, and, it is also when things begin to fade. Ironically, it is the time of year when I start to have more time to paint, which can feel like a cruel joke when you are a botanical artist living in the north. But over the years I have figured out ways to stretch the season allllll the way to spring. If you have taken my late winter inspiration course, you have learned some of the ways I do that. If you haven't, or if you would like to do a bit of preparation for the next class (March, 2024), I have some more tips for you! 

Press some flowers

Pressing flowers is one of the simplest ways to preserve a bit of your summer garden (or a trip to the farmers' market). And if you are a botanical artist, or are inspired by botanicals, having some flowers around in January can be just what you need to stay motivated. I press flowers a few ways:

• In books! This is probably the easiest way. I put flowers in-between two layers of parchment papers in some heavy books. It is so easy to check and see how they are doing.
• I use scrap wood I have around to make a press -- simply drill holes in all four corners of two pieces of wood (make sure they line up:), and use bolts and wing-nuts to tighten the pieces down. In between you can layer cardboard and parchment paper or blotting paper. 

• I have a very cute little wooden flower press that is great for small flower heads.
• If you have a microwave oven, and if you are in a hurry, the microfleur is a fun way to go -- it is fast, and a lot of the color is preserved. If you want to press larger flowers, there is a bigger size. I used the microfleur to dry the flowers for my wedding cake!

Dry some flowers

It can also be nice to have some flowers with form, and sometimes beautiful colors. In this case, I gather bunches of flowers, bundle them together, and hang them upside down in a warm, dry, dark room. It doesn't have to be completely dark, but you do want to avoid direct light, as that will cause the color to fade faster. Dry flowers are great to pair with photographs and color studies. If you take photos of flowers and do some watercolor (or what ever medium you use) studies, and then dry some of the flowers, you end up with a great "kit" for painting in the winter. 

 Start planning your spring garden

I find that if I walk in my garden and take a few notes about the season, I am much more prepared to plan my garden for the following year. If I wait and try to do my planning in the winter, I have often forgotten how things went, and what all of those amazing ideas were...In addition to taking notes, I have a nice library of books I use when I plan. My favorite is Floret Flower Farm's Cut Flower Garden. This is also a great time to start ordering seeds -- you don't need to wait until winter when things start to sell out!

A really cool new book!

First of all, if you are instagram, be sure to follow @finchandfolly! Allison Vallin Kostovick has a fabulous feed where she shares gardening tips generously. And, she has a new book that is packed with ideas for planning, enjoying, and preserving your garden. The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder is a must have for your gardening, crafting, recipe loving self!