Coast to Country

On our Croft, we have a special hill reserved for wildflowers. Every year, we let nature take the lead, allowing the hill to flourish with a colorful display of blooms before giving it a single, high-cut mow in early spring. This keeps the wildflowers healthy, encourages reseeding, and ensures the hill remains a haven for pollinators and native plants.

But before the first pass of the mower this season, I had an idea. Rather than letting the first brave flowers get chopped down unnoticed, I gathered them up—tiny treasures of early spring—and pressed them.

The Beauty of Pressing Wildflowers

There’s something magical about capturing nature’s fleeting moments. Wildflowers bloom in their own time, often appearing suddenly, as if nature herself decided to paint the landscape overnight. Pressing them preserves that beauty, allowing me to hold onto a piece of the season long after the petals would have faded.

I used a flower press from The Art of Pressed Flowers, a simple but effective tool that flattens and dries flowers while keeping their delicate details intact. The process is easy but rewarding:

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1. Gathering – I carefully picked a mix of wildflowers, choosing those in their prime with bright colors and full petals.

2. Pressing – Each bloom was arranged between sheets of absorbent paper, gently sandwiched in the press, and tightened with screws.

3. Waiting – After a few weeks, the flowers dried completely, retaining their intricate details and soft hues.

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A New Way to Appreciate Wildflowers

Pressing these first blooms added a new layer of appreciation for the wildflower hill. Instead of seeing them as temporary bursts of color, I now have them preserved as art—ready for framing, bookmarks, or even decorating handmade cards.

Letting Nature Lead

We’ll continue our tradition of letting the wildflower hill grow each year, mowing only when the time is right. But this new ritual of gathering and pressing the first blooms is one I plan to continue. It’s a way to honor the land, the changing seasons, and the simple beauty that nature offers if we take the time to notice.

Have you ever pressed wildflowers? Or do you have a favorite springtime tradition in your garden? I’d love to hear about it!