Foraging and Flower Arranging
- Aug 24, 2024
- 3 min read
One of the nicest ways to add a little splash of seasonal color to your home is by walking around your own yard and clipping the leaves & flowers currently growing, and then bringing them indoors. I think Foraging and Flower Arranging really go hand in hand and I’d like to share some simple tips with you.
When you think of Foraging, what comes to mind? For me, I think of grabbing my bag of goodies (also known as my Foraging kit) and stepping out into the woods, taking a little walk into nature and seeing what treasures my journey is going to bring me to. I forage for wild plants, herbs, and mushrooms all over Northern Arizona, but I also forage in my own yard. While it’s wonderful to have designated gardens for herbs and vegetables, many of us also have other plants growing...plants we usually just think of as landscape plants. Well guess what, you can use those as inspiration for foraging and flower arranging too!
For example, it’s getting closer to the end of Summer here in Scottsdale, Arizona, but our temperature is still consistently in the 100’s and the days are still long. I don’t have the seasonal abundance that grows during the cooler weather, but I do still have some things growing, and I’ve enjoyed snipping them and making little bouquets for my dining room table. I also like to keep little bud vases of flowers in my kitchen because they’re cheery and add a splash of summer color.
Right now, basil is the main greenery I have...yep, good old culinary basil. In addition to being a kitchen staple, it also makes a lovely green filler for an arrangement. It will last several days in a vase of water, AND it adds a beautiful scent to the room. Another Summertime flower is zinnia. I always plant zinnias along the edges of my garden beds because in late summer, they’re happy and providing bursts of purple and pink color in my otherwise dreary looking yard. Well these zinnias make excellent cut flowers for arrangements, and paired with basil, they look beautiful! I also have some little yellowish-orange flowers that pop back up in the corner every year and while they’re on short stems, they’re perfect for the little bud vases.
What else works...interesting branches from trees, cuttings from the desert sages an larrea shrubs, yellowbells, bougainvillea, and of course roses, herbs, trailing vines and really anything else you have growing. It’s fun to walk around your own back yard and start to visualize an arrangement. You can select larger or smaller items, depending on what size vase or vessel you’ll be using. In the Fall and Winter, the addition of colorful leaves that have changed colors, dried flowers and seed pods, or faded grasses would be a lovely addition. The possibilities are endless! I encourage you to take a peek in your own back yard and see what you might be able to use in an arrangement today!
For those of you who live in, or plan to be in Arizona in November, I am doing an entire class at Berridge Nursery in Phoenix, on Foraging and Flower Arranging! The date for the class is Saturday, November 9, 2024 and class begins at 10:00am in the garden amphitheater.
We will have a discussion time, and take a plant walk around the nursery to see what we can gather to create our own arrangements. During the walk, I will also be talking about edible landscape additions and lots of other valuable info . I will be bringing in additional materials, and everyone will get to go home with their very own beautiful foraged fall arrangement. Sign up will be available soon on my website, so be sure to check that out!
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