Forest Fairies

Finally, I justified my hoarding of nature’s decorative gifts…dried flowers, acorn caps, seed pods, feathers, beech nuts, shells from the beach….these all found renewed purpose as fairy garments.

Two young friends came over to ‘herb around’ with Mrs. Drake and so I put them to work: destemming dried wild plants, decanting some herbal tinctures, deseeding seed pods…at one point we took our wild edible seeds with us on a walk around my mountain to spread the life: Milkweed, Burdock, Evening Primrose, Queen Anne’s Lace, Amaranth, Lambs Quarter, Chicory and a few medicinal seeds like Teasel.

Here the girls are releasing some Milkweed parachutes from their dried pods to find their way to new homes.

My son Brian is a BASE jumper and a sky diver, packing his parachute is serious business! Milkweed pods are mysteriously packed with hundreds of brown seeds whose silky chutes are hidden behind the brown seed ‘scales’ (not unlike fish scales).  When the pod dries out it splits open along a seam.  The wind tugs at this opening releasing each miraculous seed to fly to a new home to germinate and begin life again.  In this case, Bethany and Hannah helped the process along!  It was a happy time of watching in wonder and chasing the flying fluff!

More information and pictures on Milkweed here:

wildblessings.com/2011/07/28/throw-me-in-that-milkweed-patch/

During our hike I took them to see two towering Mullein stalks that are like twin sentinels.  They are so dignified in their existence that we left them there to stand watch till Spring.  I told the girls of the many yellow flowers I had collected from this pair last Summer and described the many common names of Verbascum thapsus: Roman Torch, Witches Taper, Shepherds Staff, Grave Dust, Our Lady’s Flannel, Quaker’s Rouge… Mullein is an amazing gift in a plethora of ways.  Check out my blog on Mullein.

With our box empty and paint stirrers planted next to the seed patches we headed home to make Nettle soup for dinner and spent the rest of the afternoon ‘wild crafting’!  I gave them my stash of wild decorations along with the moss, fungus and twigs they gathered while hiking for the Fairy making wardrobe.

Each woodland creature had a distinct personality that emerged with additions of peppercorns or cloves for eyes and rose buds for feet. The girls named them: Mrs. Green, Rose, Elaine, Charlotte and Genevieve.  The hair barrettes look lovely as well.  Here are the cast of characters:

Mrs. Green, though rather plain in her Rhododendron leaf garb, carries a Rose petal revealing it’s beauty below her Evening Primrose sleeves.  Her Acorn cap hat sports a feather softening it’s rather bulky look.  Wings of Mullein leaf.

Charlotte’s tight fitting gown of Sage leaves is accented by her Rose petal bouquet. Stunning Peppercorn mahogany eyes stand in contrast to her golden silk petaled hair.

Genevieve loves hats, today she is wearing a white shell hat sporting bright red Barberries.  She is looking forward to a tea party under the Mayapples this Spring.

There is nothing ‘plain’ about Elaine.  Her Rose petal apron contrasts nicely to her Rhody underskirt.  Curly Yarrow hair flows over her slender form beneath a befeathered hat.

Smelling like a Rose, Rose is swirling in petals from her hair to her toes. Her mushroom wings add to her mystique. Clove eyelashes give a rather ‘flirty’ look to this rather shy fairy.

Undoubtedly these classy ladies have many adventures to live but one they can look forward to later this Spring is a tea party with new friends at the Mayapple orchard.

Bethany, Hannah and I had so much fun fooling around that we decided to invite other girls over after Spring has sprung for another Forest Fairy adventure.  We’ll forage for wild teas, bake Crabgrass muffins with fresh Spring grasses, smothered in butter & topped with Rose petal jam and of course make a glorious mess creating more woodland ladies.

Wild blessings abound!

Holly

“You who dwell in the gardens with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice!”

Song of Solomon 8:13

BTW, Bethany and Hannah did all the creating.  Good job girls!