Today, I am so excited to share an inside look at the ever-increasing organic wedding flower trend that has swept every Pinterest board.  Another word for this trend is called “foraging”.  We partnered with our sweet friends at Old Forest Farm to learn a little more about how to achieve this look!  

Foraging is one of our favorite things to do.  Adding a few wild elements to arrangements gives them a sort of raw beauty you can’t always get when ordering flowers from the usual places.  It also adds the energy and spirit of the seasons to arrangements and there is something to be said for that.  Nature is constantly changing and evolving and because we are working with a product with a limited lifespan, it reminds us that beauty and meaning are always in the present moment, in this season of life, and to enjoy them fully while we can.  The next time you buy flowers from the grocery or cut some from your garden and you want to add a little more wildness to your bouquet, try foraging for a few branches of something new. You don’t have to be a professional to know how to properly forage and we’ve got a few tips for you today.

• Bring some basic tools: A lightweight basket, clippers or pruners, gloves, a hat if you are going into the woods, and bug spray (we make our own natural, DEET-free blend, coming soon to the Old Forest web shop).
• Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.  So many beneficial micro-organisms are in our soils and on our local plants, and you can always wash up when you are done.
• Know common poisonous plants in your bio-region.  For us, we mostly worry about three particular varieties: poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. With a little online research, you may find that there are many antidotes to these toxic plants and they’re almost always growing close by.
• Be Considerate. Don’t take more than you need or cut an entire plant.
• Remember that foraging can be in your own garden or yard, a friend or neighbors, a quiet spot along the road, or deep in the woods. We’ve found ourselves collecting stems from all of these places at different times.  There’s no wrong or right.