I loved this book! The fireplace dried florals were stunning. My grandmother use to place four leaf clovers in the pages of her family bible. A few years ago I started placing flowers from my garden in between the pages of a good heavy book. I used just plain white printer paper because I had it on hand. I did wait two weeks. I made a little wild flower garden with them and framed them. My little grandson was looking at a book on my coffee table and came across a page where I had forgotten to remove a few sprigs of chocolate lace ( Daura). He was amazed you could do this. Later that week my son told me when he went to read to him that inside his large Winnie the Pooh story book he found a few flowers my grandson had put between the pages. ❤️
@@MarySchlotter I love this! Your grandson will always remember that moment. I can’t tell you how many times my grandmother did something like that with me. I considered her to be a genius and a magician. I’m sure your garden prints are beautiful. That’s a great idea! Thank you for sharing that story. It made me happy.
I do something similar. When my 2 youngest sons were elementary school age, they would always find four leaf clovers and sweetly give them to me. I’d put them in a framed picture of them (or of us), down in the lower right corner. That way, I always remember the love and special bond I had with each child when I gaze upon those photos. They remember too. It makes all of us smile.
As a 6th Gen Atlantan and having had a lakeside cabin in Highlands, and currently here in the Golden Isles I am familiar with Summerour's work. It is good to see his book and some of his projects including interiors and landscaping as an integral living space. Yes I have long been a fan of pressing garden variety flowers. Your hydrangea project is just beautiful and turnout out well. I have picked hydrangea and turned them upside down for months, and the blossom will stay on the stem and then you can display them in arrangements and baskets. I would say, to give each press at least 3 months in order to get all of the oils and water out of them, otherwise they can mildew and get black spot.. If you did not mount the specimens on archival cold press board, I would highly recommend doing that and there is special glue that won't turn the specimens into just brown or beige. You can usually purchase both the cold press archival paper /board and the special glue at picture framing shops, or perhaps at artist supply shops. Just let them know your project is working with real specimen. Summer Hydrangeas are so lovely. I suppose you have heard that by sticking a rusty nail or garden fertilizers into the soil you can grow blues, pinks, lavenders and whites. Absolutely the garden lights are magical and so necessary for that extra special touch of whimsy and beauty. I just hope they are heat and humidity proof! :]] Bren
I appreciate that tip. I will remove them from the frame and let them dry a bit longer. If I do this again I would choose a larger blossom and actually have them professionally framed. Proper framing often makes a world of difference. I have never heard the rusty nail trick. My soil varies throughout my garden and I am able to have many colors (just by luck). Thanks for the info. Bren! Have a great weekend!
@@thetartantopiary Absolutely agree about professional matting and framing. (I would not take the hydrangea that you have pressed and leave them out of the press. You might risk sepals breaking off.) If you would like to try your hand at 3D flower drying which was all the rage in the Victorian era, you can purchase silica gel powder (I buy it at Michael's) and use a Tupperware filled with the silica and gently sift the silica gel powder around the flowers as you let the dry in the Tupperware with the lid tightly on. Many do this for Wedding bouquets or memorable events or a special flower. It preserves the color and petal form as well as stem and leaves. Have fun!!
Wow, I have learned a lot from your comment. I am also interested in pressing flowers to put them in a frame. I also just saw someone decorate a jar with them and it turned out so pretty. Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge. I will take a look for the paper and glue. 😊
Wow, those dried hydrangeas turned out amazing! Of course, starting with that gorgeous antique flower press is quite inspirational! But , I have a book and a brick! I think I will try it!
Another great book review. I really enjoyed the log home designs. The pressed flowers turned out really cute too. I wonder how long they will last and if you don’t get all the moisture out during this process I’m sure the paper used in the framing would show signs of staining. Your’s looked like you did them correctly. I bet you would have some buyers if you wanted.
I truly love your channel, found you and subscribed recently. Actually I've become addicted. You have not only a great voice and pleasant music but you have such a knack for showcasing the pages of the books. I feel as if I'm right there in the rooms. Thank you
I Am in love with this Book……everything about it . The lights are fantastic,I really like mine . .Garden and Gun is a favorite magazine of mine . I have never tried pressing anything as large as a hydrangea,will definitely give it a try ,I press leaves and ferns ,small flowers like pansies,years ago I I made gift tags and and few cards with them 🌸🍃🌿. Thanks Mary
@@thetartantopiary well it certainly wasn’t my idea,that started for me more than 20=years ago,it was a Martha Stewart thing,I learn most of what I do from her ….my hardest thing was to accept I couldn’t do everything she did and I didn’t have her money or 100 employees,nor the resources….but other than my Mom ,I truly learned more from her than anyone else. But note yards,and gift tags.was Good Thing ….. I forgot to mention the tie press is a wonderful antique,i would love to find one 💚🍃🌿. Thanks Mary
I had a flower press as a child, that brings back memories, the only tip I can remember being given was to pick in the morning after the dew has evaporated. I don't know if it still is a fashion, but a few years ago brides were having their flower bouquet's pressed and put in a picture frame, so they would always have it.
We have a beautiful shadow box that my husband’s grandmother had made where her wedding portrait is surrounded by her flower topped veil with the netting curling around the portrait; the flowers have turned brown after over a hundred years, but it is still very lovely
I enjoyed the book review. This is a new architect/ designer to me - but I do not pretend to have extensive knowledge in either field. And only you would have an English tie (sp?) press! The flowers turned out so beautiful that I would love to do that. So I guess I need to walk around the neighborhood and see who has hydrangeas I can ask for.
Funny! Here, in the coastal region of North Carolina, there are a few Hydrangea bushes still blooming. Between the heat and the normal growing season, I was lucky to have some still in my garden. I hope you find one and try it. I had fun doing this.
Beautiful Mary! I loved the flower pressing. I haven’t thought about doing that for many years. I have framed pressed sunflowers that my husband’s mother did years ago. Thank you for sharing ❤
Hello Mary and thank you for another great book review. I love your diy of pressing blossoms! I am going to definitely try this one!! (I hate to tell you what I paid for a couple of framed dried flowers!! LOL) Yours look beautiful! See you in the next one! Hugs! :)
Linda - don't think of what you paid, but think of the joy they bring you when you look at them! For some reason, that is beyond my comprehension, I'm thinking of buying 2 of the ones I saw in the store!
Phenomenal idea with the flowers! I will try this myself. The book that you reviewed is in my opinion, one of the best! Thanks for your channel. It's home❤
Your hydrangeas are gorgeous!! I made some pressed flowers for my mom when I was a kid, and I had forgotten how much fun this is. I recently heard Schefflera plants also look nice when pressed. Thanks so much for this video...I'm off to find something to press!!
Delightful as always Mary. And your jewellery collection is exquisite. I have left hydrangeas to dry in a vase, but I have never pressed them. Thank you for the lesson. Greetings from Australia.
I pressed single pansy blossoms and place an individual one in a gorgeous mini gold frame that had a bee figure at the top. Looks so terrific. Great gift ideas. I also use the Micro Fleur micro wave press. It works well and is so quick!
Two large bamboo bread boards can be drilled at exactly matching corners, i.e. 4 holes per board. Thread with a long screw and tighten each with a wingnut. Use blotting paper and dry more than one by piling up lasagna style. Use very long screws if you are impatient.
Hi Mary...so good to visit with you again. Loved the book review and of course the author attended my favorite, War Eagle!! I was very impressed with your pressed and framed flowers plus, what a savings and the satisfaction of creating these two yourself. See ya next week my friend.
Loved the flower press demonstration, I’ll try pressing some flowers 💐 Will they keep there color? With out any special treatment? It all seems so easy, I’ve seen them in the past, I thought it was more complicated.❤ See you next week ❤ 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🥰
Hi Mary! Absolutely love this book-lots of inspiration and beauty. The lights are a great addition to the garden. Of course, I always enjoy your “side trips” with things like this. Your flower press is something I would like to have and hydrangeas are some of my favorite flowers. Thank you for all the content you bring us; I always enjoy and learn from them.
Hi from Indiana ~Mary ~ !! I agree about the "Dream Book" it was stunning. Your pressed Hydrangeas are pretty, I will try doing that, however I did try to press a few from my daughter's wedding and it was a hot mess!! some of the flowers were moldy ..yuk yuk ! I have to ask about your chunky watch , I love it !!and of course the bracelets all are so sharp looking ! Have a super week friend ! Paula
Is there really a magazine called "Guns and Gardens"? YIKES! Your pressed flowers look beautiful and made me want to try! Always enjoy your presentations. Thank you!
Love this book. Reminds me of Charles foudre.❤❤❤ i do love the titel, create a home. My birthday was last week, hd hydrangias to, they start looking a bit crumbled. 🙈
@@thetartantopiary THANK YOU SO MUCH! Perhaps a collab w them in the future!?! It's such a pretty color. Thank you for putting a little beauty in the world. I really appreciate you sharing your lovely home, garden and oh, just being you! CHEERS!!!
OK, I’m totally stealing some of these ideas! I have a black face white sheep statue in the garden and somehow I’ve never thought about bringing her inside. I think I’ll do just that and toss a fleece on her in the process. I also have an urn exactly like the one featured in his garden (mine is much smaller) and I have a pile of flat stone, so guess who will be putting those together into a vignette in the Spring! Then, there’s that fabulous ceiling…..my mind is turning already trying to plan for that when I do my next room in 2026, which is when I will finally be building out my dream walk in closet, which is currently a small bedroom adjacent to the master….the master is already scheduled to be redone (top to bottom) in 2025. All materials & furnishings (down to the doorknobs) have been purchased and are sitting in storage; we’re just waiting on the contractor to start in January. Thanks for all the ideas! I’ve added this book to my Christmas wish list and will be pouring over it, notebook in hand.
I love the chinoiserie with dark background of walnut stain! We are getting the $200 stain ground up from our concrete slab house for thousands of dollars! Don’t ever stain concrete please. Parts of my house look like I hoard and parts look polished and for the first time level! It is only taking 5 to 6 weeks, sigh. ❤ I wanted checkerboard tile, and that is not to be….
