Spring City ‘Burb Bouquet: Foraged by Little Hands

Forage: 30 min | Arrangement: 15 min | Drink an Izze: However long you like

Awhile back, I started reading posts on Anthropologie’s blog about urban, foraging florists. Mind blown. Then a couple years ago, I needed several floral arrangements for an exhibit project—to last three days under halogen lights. I bought traditional flowers, only to have them wilt within hours. As a fix, I foraged stems in my yard, and was thrilled with the result. Foraging was beautiful! 

Fast forward to morning walks with my 2-year old. We live in a city suburb, where concrete rules the land. Or so I thought. When spring came, I began to see how my son was fascinated by every rock, stick and leaf along the sidewalk. I began noticing the hidden beauty surrounding us: trees, flowers, grasses, pinecones, rocks, frogs, birds and butterflies. Of many varieties. Suddenly foraging had a whole new meaning.

Hunting Rocks

We started our walks by collecting rocks. So. Much. Fun. With only the clothes on our backs, an empty bucket, and his toy monster truck (of course), we set out into the deep, dark wood that was...er...next to the tennis courts. 

Foraging with a two-year old is mostly about the rocks. They are plentiful and easy to collect. Admire each rock together—the size, the color, the shape. Count the rocks. Dump them out and collect new ones. Let them carry the bucket and scout a new location.

Encourage them to collect rocks of any kind at first. Toss in pinecones, acorns, sticks.

Getting down to business, collect rocks that will work for the vase you are using.

Gathering Stems

When foraging, wear long sleeves, pants and rubber gloves. Also, take the vase with you to collect greenery. This helps to start a loose arrangement, with varied textures and heights.

Seedlings offer beautiful variety, in petite sized leaves. note: Before you start collecting, survey the area for poison ivy, oak or sumac. Need to educate your family? Check out the helpful links below!

Wild roses with petite stems and buds give great height without overpowering an arrangement. 

Lay out the stems and observe the leaf patterns with your kiddo. Notice the “opposite” pattern of the Hickory (top right) vs. the ”alternating” pattern of the Cherry (bottom left). This is the first step towards identifying the tree species. You can narrow in on a major family just by it’s leaf pattern. Click here for more info!

My favorite forage-able items are Maple or Oak seedlings that have dropped in obscure places—spots that will be weeded or mulched by lawn care companies. The tiny leaves are great for bud vases. Tall grasses are fabulous for creating height and contrast, and they are hearty to last. On your own property, any flowering bushes or ground cover that would otherwise be pruned back can make fabulous texture. And lastly, weeds or wild flowers like clover, buttercups or Queen Anne’s Lace are fabulous. I am gushing over this use of dandelions + bluebells in candlesticks by stylist Eva Kosmos Flores. 

---

Before moving onto the bouquet, now is a good time to discuss the oh, so fun topic:

Educating the Fam’: Shiny leaves of 3, let them be! 

It is extremely important to identify poison oak, ivy or sumac year-round, especially in areas a landscaping company does not manage. The good news is, an activity like foraging can encourage education for the whole family. Here are links for identifying, treating and removing these plants safely in areas your children play in.

Poisonivy.org An excellent site to ID poison ivy/oak/sumac, per the CDC. They also sell SeeLeaf Detection Wipes to test for the nasty Urushiol oil.

FDA: Have a Scratch-Free Summer!
HGTV: How To Safely Kill Poison Ivy (using vinegar, boiling water, salt, dish soap)
BCH: How to Treat Poison Ivy as recommended by NIH

---

Whew! That’s over. Let’s move onto the making the Spring City ’Burb Bouquet.

Making the Bouquet

After the stems are washed, give your child sensory play with the leaves. Observe the textures and shapes, and try to identify the tree!

Give the rocks a bath! Let your child help wash and dry. Another great sensory experience.

Fill the bottom of your vase with foraged rocks. Add water. Trim your stems before submerging.

I was so used to seeing Azalea bushes dotting the yards I grew up around, that I overlooked how pretty each bloom is. Clip a small Azalea sprig for an great pop of color.

One by one, tuck each stem into the rocks for stability. Arrange them diagonally, (similar to how the straws are arranged). This will naturally form an arrangement up top. 

Having a party? Adding party straws to the arrangement, transforms this bouquet into a party centerpiece.

One cannot have too many party straws. Nope.

Ooooh. Is that a floral coaster set by Rifle Paper Co? Yes, please.

What are you waiting for? Suit up, grab your keys, kiddo and bucket. Get foraging in your city suburb. Who says the city is too gritty to be pretty?