THE cuckoo’s call has long since faded, skylarks swoop and rise in their vertical dance and the first hay has been neatly rolled. In the woods, lanky foxgloves have shed their purple outerwear and, throughout the land, gardeners are attempting to quench an ever-increasing thirst. However, within the flower press, time stands still. Unscrewing the tightly wound wing nuts with the trepidation of a ceramicist opening a kiln, I gently lift the layers of card and paper. The past season rests here: daisies, dandelions, wood anemone, primroses and bluebells sleep on the pages.
Flower pressing is an ancient craft that involves flattening blooms and leaves to remove the moisture. The pressed matter can then be preserved on paper, behind glass, within resin and so on for the purposes of both art and science. One of the best reasons to take up flower pressing is that you don’t need any special kit—although plenty exists, if you get the bug (more on that later). A couple of heavy-duty hardbacks will do the job. In Pressed Flower Craft (1980), Joyce Fenton—past doyenne of flower pressing and founder of the Pressed Flower Guild—outlines how to use a telephone directory as a press, recommending allowing at least 12 pages per pressing.
Denne historien er fra August 26, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 26, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
