One fine morning I stood in my garden, plucked a weed from the dirt, and absent-mindedly twirled it between my fingers as I surveyed the damage. The tidy rows I had planted in the spring were no longer distinguishable; the weeds were taller than the peas.
I had almost decided the job was too big, and I should have another cup of coffee instead, when I happened to notice something. The weed I was still holding, my nemesis, was actually quite pretty. I took a closer look at the other weeds: they too had interesting shapes and colors; some even looked quite delicate. So I took my weed back into my house, and put it in my phone book.
My thrifty summer pleasure was born.
Since then, I have pressed flowers, leaves, and grasses. Most come from my own yard, but I have also found treasures along roadsides, as well as in bouquets and arrangements given to me as presents. And I've found I can pick pretty much any time I want, as long as the plant is not dampened by dew or rain. I can also pick pretty much any plant I want, as long as I take care not to pick plants that are endangered, or in restricted areas, like national park preserves.
I have learned, by trial and error, that some plants do press better than others. For example, the plant will change as it dries and the original color may bear little resemblance to the final result. And although flat leaves and flowers are usually the easiest to press, that doesn't mean you can't use chubby flowers as well. One of my little flower beds is stuffed full of calendula (looks a little like a marigold.) Definitely on the chubby side, although not nearly as full as, say, chrysanthemum. Sometimes I may try to press small chubby flowers intact, but I have learned that my results are better if I take the time to separate the petals and press them as individuals.
Part of the fun of flower-pressing is discovering for yourself which plants work the best, but if you'd like some help getting started, the Preserved Gardens Pressed Flower Database is a very good resource, with lots of pictures of various flowers, leaves, and grasses, as well as suggestions on preparation.
Another helpful resource is found at the Frontier Natural Co-op website. The article is primarily aimed at the harvesting of wild plants and herbs for medicinal and cooking purposes, but if you plan to pick any uncultivated plants, you should probably read Tim Blakley's guidelines for Ethical Wildcrafting.
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