"Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old" -- Franz KafkaThe gardening season is coming to a close, and the leaves seem to be in a big hurry to change colors and start their downward descent. This makes me all the more anxious to hurry up and preserve the few things that remain while I have the chance.I love to stockpile a nice variety of foliage and blooms to use in art projects throughout the year for gifts and decor. You have plenty of options when it comes to preserving your gardening efforts. And before I share my favorites with you, I first want to encourage you to approach your selection and collection with a fresh pair of eyes.Look beyond the type of leaf or flower, and focus on the interesting shapes and patterns that are out there. Observe the parts of a flower on their own rather than as a whole, and, most importantly, take a second and third look at the blemished and imperfect. Appreciate the beauty in the spots, the tears, the chew marks. When these are pressed, they give you the most interesting patterns and random designs that you just don't get from the more "perfect" foliage and blooms. When you start looking at things differently, you open yourself up to even greater creative options with what you're preserving.To preserve by pressing: Collect your foliage and blooms when things are dry, not after a rain or early in the morning when the dew is evident. Make any revisions to the leaf or bloom before you press it rather than after because it won't be as brittle to cut, shape or separate.The simplest press to create and use is made of two pieces of thin plywood, separated by layers of corrugated cardboard and newsprint-quality paper. You'll place your materials between the newsprint, and separate every three or four newsprint layers with the corrugated cardboard. Prop up on a couple of 2 x 4s and use clamps on all sides for even pressure. Check for mildew a day or two after pressing and remove anything that shows signs of that. Your natural beauties should be fully dried, flat and fabulous in just two short weeks.Once they are dried, you can give the petals or leaves flexibility by brushing on a layer of polymer or matte medium. This will let you shape and wrap with the item without it breaking or cracking.To preserve by ironing: This method is suitable only for leaves, but you can easily have things dry and flat in just a couple of minutes. Place your foliage between two sheets of waxed paper or two sheets of muslin and go over it with a hot, dry iron until virtually all of the moisture has been removed.To preserve by casting: Roll out a half-inch slab of earth clay to desired plaque size. Place the slab onto a work surface covered with a couple layers of newspaper. Press your chosen foliage, blooms and branches into the clay to create the design of your choice. Let elements overlap and keep in mind that the deeper the impression, the more raised the image will be on the front of your plaque. Even the finest of details can be captured.Once you've finished making your impressions, create a frame around your clay using 1 x 2s and hold frame in place by wedging clay around the outside. Mix up a batch of plaster of Paris to casting consistency, which is one part water to one-and-a-half parts plaster of Paris. Wear a pair of gloves and use your hand to mix and stir. You can feel the mixture being broken up between you fingers and you will always get a smooth mix.Pour a thin layer over your clay slab and then pour the remaining mix. Mix enough plaster of Paris to create at least a half-inch layer. After 20-30 minutes, remove the clay and allow plaque to completely set.Place clay in a separate plastic bag to store and roll out again for other designs. You can create beautiful, botanical plaques in a short amount of time.Enjoy experimenting. And once you see all that you can do, I'm willing to bet that next spring, you'll find yourself planting things with "preservation" in mind.(Michele Beschen is creator of the "B Original" series for the DIY Network. Contact her at www.couragetocreate.com or visit www.diynetwork.com.)
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