Around the Grounds with Bennett O Dowling, 577 Organic Landscape Horticulturist
Nature blesses us with incredible colors as the growing season progresses, from the cheerful stained glass faces of spring pansies to the jewel tones of late summer cosmos and the fiery hues of the autumn chrysanthemums. We are surrounded by color and, as creatures who appreciate beauty, we try to capture the intricacy and vibrance in our work. This may be through photography, painting, journaling, or other creative endeavors.
There is also the potential of appreciating the color and pattern of botanical specimens and capturing their pigments on fabric or paper. This has been known since the early 2000s as ‘Eco-printing’, though it is based on historical wisdom and process. One method of eco-printing, and an especially stress-relieving one at that, is flower pounding.
While most eco-printing entails boiling or steaming botanical material onto fabric, flower pounding is just what it sounds like: the extrusion of a flower or leaf’s color and pattern onto fabric or paper through the physical pounding of a hammer or mallet. As previously mentioned, it can be quite stress-relieving. Though this may not be the intended use for those flowers someone gave you as a gift.
The question I often get asked is: which flowers are the best for this process? The answer is that while not all botanical materials are suitable for pounding, there are quite a few ideal flowers – the key is they have fleshy texture and rich colors. Examples include pansies, cosmos, chrysanthemums, daisies, and nasturtiums. The texture and color of many types of foliage also can be striking, as is the case with ferns, coleus, and the leaves of cosmos and nasturtiums.
The next question – how does the process work? Ideally, if using fabric, one needs to pre-treat it with alum so that it can most effectively accept the natural pigments of the botanical material. Next, the fabric is placed on an absorbent paper on a hard surface. The fabric is placed over the paper and then the flower or foliage is set directly on the fabric. Another portion of the fabric is then folded over the botanical material, and it is ready for pounding.
Here at 577, we have been experimenting with flower pounding and are excited to offer a class for the community on Saturday, September 7 – ‘Botanical Eco-Print: Flower Pounding’. In this class, we will discuss flower pounding basics including how to prepare your fabric and which supplies to use. After a walk around the grounds to gather our flowers and foliage, we will experiment with different plants and petals to create a unique wall hanging, framed in a magnetic poster frame. Consider it a great way to prolong the beautiful colors of the growing season into fall and winter.
Two curious kids, Kinsley and Avery, joined in on the fun as we were testing flowers this summer. They tried their hand at flower pounding, creating beautiful art and leaving with big smiles. Now, it’s your turn to join the fun!
Learn more about this unique collaborative class taught by 577’s Organic Landscape Horticulturist Bennett O. Dowling and Program Coordinator Avery Bohman, CLICK HERE!
