LET’S TALK FORAGING - A How To Guide For Urban Foraging Of Branches & Blooms.
Foragers at heart; we are constantly seeking the beauty of the natural world. In California we are surrounded by endless beauty; wild flora, fauna, and foliage at every turn. We find ourselves hiking with pruners tucked in a backpack and always on the lookout for those elevated vessels to showcase our organic free-form treasures. This bounty begs to be brought inside, appreciated, and admired.
From blooms to branches, we look at the why, how, and where to forage. We help you keep your eyes peeled for future finds with a month-by-month guide of what's in season. And share the best way to keep your fetching finds looking lively.
We’ve thrown in some insane inspiration to cue your creative flow and foraging essentials to get the show on the road. We’ve got you covered, from pruners to loppers and a curated lineup of vessels to showcase your finds.
Why Forage?
Florists, Stylists, and Interior Designers have long known about this somewhat secret source of branches and blooms. These foraged finds add a sense of the unexpected and whimsy to our interior vignettes. Rarely for sale at florists or supermarkets, their size, scale, or unique natural characteristics make them enticing interior additions.
While we are lucky enough to forage ‘oh so’ many types of flora and fauna (more on this below), we do have a penchant for the olive branch. Large or small, we love them all. Bringing our spaces to life; hanging, lying, or leaning; we have them on mantels, dining room tables, kitchen counters, and bathrooms. There truly are no limits to their versatility.
Skill Level - Low
Good news, foraging is all about seeing rather than doing. You won’t need mad floral design skills to create an impressive display. Instead, it's all about finding that fallen branch or dried grass that speaks to you and displaying it in the perfect vessel. Embrace that asymmetrical look and don’t cut all of your branches the same height. We are after all channeling that ‘natural’ look and feel. Once the branch has dried out, repurpose it, with a different look and feel but equally as beautiful. Case in point in the image below, not even a vase to be seen, but rather a floral frog, and yes, where you can shop those beauties below!
Where To Forage
We all know the temptation - you’re driving along and spy a particularly fantastic specimen of * (insert your favorite shrub/flower/tree here) and the temptation to pull over and whip out your pruners can be overwhelming. But just because you have the ability to, does it mean you should?
While foraging in public spaces and footpaths is perfectly legal. Public parks are generally a no-no. Look for alleys, open lots, public lands, and forested trails. Do not clip without permission from the owners of private property (unless it is your own of course!)
Where Not To Forage
While we probably don't need to expand on this too much, when foraging along public sidewalks, be wary of spots that could be at 'dog lavatory height.' Also, be mindful of areas near busy roads as the taste of exhaust fumes won't be a great addition to any edible finds.
How To Forage
You may be lucky enough to come across a fallen branch or foliage, simply scoop it up and take it home.
If your foraging foliage needs to be harvested do so gently. Take what you need, and you don’t overdo it. The amount you take shouldn’t be noticeable, and you want to make sure your pruning techniques are up to par and don’t harm the plant, live and let live. Keep a look out for branches with bloom buds so they will open in your vase.
Housekeeping
Fill your vase three-quarters of the way full with cool, clean water and change it every day. Bacteria from dirty water may clog the stems and prevent them from drinking.
Remove any leaves from the base of the branches and cut off approximately 1” from the bottom of each stem. Cut branches on the diagonal and use sharp pruning shears. Make a 1″ – 2″ slit in the bottom of each stem and then “bruise” (or smash) them with a hammer. This will help water to penetrate the branch.
How much is too much? Clip a little more than you think you need. You will need to trim down the clipping for your arrangement.
What To Forage And When
A gift-worthy and thoroughly inspirational book, Foraged Fauna by Louesa Roebuck & Sarah Lonsdale has given us an extremely thorough and efficient yearly calendar of what to forage and when. Inspiring us each month with arrangements large and small from the flowers available during that time period. Encouraging us to train our eyes to the beauty that surrounds us.
January - passionflower, date palms, solandra, cobaea, jasmine
February - nasturtium, magnolia, campbellii, magnolia, willow, buckeye
March - wisteria, roses, lilac, apple blossoms, redbud, jasmine, forget me not
April - peonies, roses, passionflower poppies
May - roses philadelphus, mint, geranium
June - hydrangea, roses, fig, magnolia, queen anne’s lace, wild grape, borage, blackberry
July - magnolia, passionflower, palm dates, fruit, hibiscus, mallow, solandra, kumquat, oregano, lemon verbena, shiso, basil
August - geranium, verbascum, asparagus fronds, clematis, roses, hydrangea, persimmon, quince, chestnut, wild grape, medlar, seckel pear, elderberry, viburnum, hyssop, oregano, marjoram
September - fennel, allium, roses, hydrangea, figs, grapes
October - hops, roses, quince, persimmon, fennel, pear, tomatillo, fog, amaranth, basil, mint
November - magnolia, passionflower, roses, clematis gone to seed, rose hips, hydrangea, violets
December - bay, magnolia, cardoons, toyon, clematis, smoke bush, hydrangea
BORROW OUR STYLE SHOP OUR FORAGING ESSENTIALS
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