Inspired by Emily Dickinson

  One day last week while researching something else (don't remember what!) I came across a picture of a page from Emily Dickinson's herbarium. Of course, I was immediately interested and started to dig deeper. Although I've read some of her poems and noticed that many of them are about flowers, I didn't fully realize until that moment that she was also a passionate gardener and lover of nature! I'm now reading a wonderful book called The Gardens of Emily Dickinson, by Judith Farr. I've often thought I was born in the wrong century, and reading this book makes me so wish that I could have known her! When I get done with this book I am going to go back and read all her poems, with a brand new appreciation! 😊
  Meanwhile, inspired by her herbarium, which contained over 400 specimens of plants from both her garden and surrounding fields and woods, I have started my own little herbarium. I already had a fair amount of pressed flowers and leaves because I love to tuck them into letters and between the pages of books, so a few pages have already been filled. And there are lots more being pressed right now! I just wish I had thought of this in the Spring! 

My herbarium is just a simple black sketchbook that I decorated with a Victorian-style floral print and label that I printed out and glued on the cover.

The first page: Chionodoxa forbesii (Glory-of-the-snow), Hesperis matronalis (Evening Dame's Rocket), Viola tricolor var. hortensis (Pansy) Aqueilegia vulgaris (Columbine), and Spiraea prunifolia (Bridalwreath Spirea)

Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica (Striped Squill)

Nabalus altissimus (Tall Rattlesnake Root), Cosmos bipinnatus (Cosmos), Myosotis sylvatica (Forget-me-not), and Fallopia japonica (Japanese Knotweed)

I will close with the words of an enthusiastic 14-year-old Emily Dickinson in a letter to her school friend: "Have you made an herbarium yet? I hope you will if you have not, it would be such a treasure to you." It is certainly a pleasant occupation and will be such a comfort on those cold winter days that are fast approaching!