The Milkweed Wreath That Teaches

in #homesteading7 years ago

                     

I must warn you dear reader, that this particular article is "peppered" with lots of life lessons and symbology.

Most of the materials that I used to make this wreath (which I plan to give as a gift) I either foraged for or grew.

I wouldn't describe myself as artistically inclined or even crafty. (So, I hope you're all as shocked as I am about the outcome.)

When I was about thirteen years old, I inadvertently overhead my English teacher and my Art teacher discussing my abilities. I wished that I never heard them because I was too young to truly understand that they were complimenting me, instead of scrutinizing my abilities. They had both come to the conclusion unanimously that I was a "good writer" and a "good artist" as long as I was inspired.

In my young mind, I interpreted that to mean that (most of the time) my artistic and creative writing skills were mediocre at best. I reasoned that nobody could be inspired all of the time.

Unfortunately, I have carried that "mediocre label" (which was just my interpretation of an opinion) and I had let it chip away at my confidence for too long.

Last night was a turning point. 

It Was The First Time I have Ever Made A Gift That's Sole Purpose Was To Be Pleasing To The Eye And It Actually Turned Out

I had no idea what I was doing and I had to talk myself around. Was I inspired enough to make a beautiful piece of art or was it going to look...well, like a dog's breakfast and be displeasing to the eye?

I decided not to listen to my self-doubt voice as I replayed the 2 teachers' conversation in my head (for what felt like the millionth time).

The thing is, we need to be challenging ourselves with "new thinking and doing" regularly if we want to keep evolving intellectually. 

It All Starts With A Decision To Try Something New And Not Be Paralyzed By The Fear Of The Unknown

Like deciding to make a wreath out of turkey feathers, stunted dried peppers and about 80  Milkweed Pods, for the very first time. 

(The dark grey material (that makes up the bulk of the wreath and looks like driftwood) is actually dried milkweed pods.)

Milkweed is the only plant that Monarch caterpillars feed on, use to spin their cocoons from and then emerge as Monarch butterflies. The plants grow in fields and in long grass but over the last 20 years, this species of plant has been negatively impacted by urban sprawl and weed spraying.

(Below is a photo of a Monarch butterfly nursery. You can see the caterpillars, their cocoons and the beautiful butterflies that have emerged after their metamorphosis.) 

(My girlfriend, who is an elementary school teacher, built this enclosure for her grade 4 class. She used it to teach the students all about the milkweed plant and what Monarch butterflies do. Photo credit: T. Walden)

As A Result Of Milkweed's Struggle To Survive, So Too Are The Monarch Butterflies

The plant generally grows all summer, produces a flower, then a pod full of seeds. These seeds are carried through the air and if they survive the winter, will germinate in the Spring. Here's a photo of the field that I foraged for these milkweed pods in:

                     

In Canada, late October to mid-November is the best time to forage for, harvest and dry milkweed pods. The butterflies are now finished with this plant and are currently en route to their winter destination which is as far away as MEXICO, some 3,000 miles away!  

The Monarch Butterflies Are The Only Butterflies That Migrate This Far Twice A Year

In the photos below, you can see what a fresher pod looks like, then what it dries to. I have also taken a photo of the seed. Once the pods split open, they will release their seeds. Each seed comes equipped with something called a coma. The coma is a very sticky piece of fluff that when dried and activated, act like a little sail and can carry the milkweed seed a great distance from the mother plant.

    

When I gathered milkweed pods this year, I made a point of freeing as many seeds as I could and I releasing them into the air. With any luck this should help to restore the plant's population in my area and in turn help the Monarch butterflies.

To Make This Wreath

I started by gathering materials.

I used 16 turkey feather from a beautiful bird who got hit by a car in front of my house. The bird belonged to a special flock that I have been observing since they were hatched 6 months ago. I also used approximately 80 dried pods that I had cleaned the seeds and removed the stems from.

Armed with a glue gun and 3.5 long glue sticks, I quickly learned what hot glue feels like when it burns your fingertips and you can't remove it without burning more finger tips.

The glue gun. One temperature. Burning hot.

I bought a wreath at a Dollar store and completely deconstructed it to re-use the frame. I used it to provide the structural support to which I affixed everything, with burning hot glue. Did I mention it was burning hot?

First layer on.

Second layer on.

Third and fourth layer on.

Feathers in place with alternating pattern.

Five golden butterflies in place, 2 larger ghost peppers, 5 little baby peppers and quite frankly more little gold balls than I care to count.

I think the different textures make this a very interesting piece of art to look at.

I welcome your comments and I invite you to follow me on my journey...nothing is safe from my BURNING HOT glue gun now. ;)

~ Rebecca Ryan


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So nice! I appreciate seeing those turkey feathers, knowing where they came from, especially. And the milkweed pods, too. If folks knew how good much good food milkweed can provide, when it's prepared properly, we might see more of it in every corner and niche that's suitable! Young stems, flowerbuds, new pods -- all so good! I ate them a lot when I lived in Michigan -- they were a common "weed" back then! Great foraging, @rebeccaryan, and good lessons, too.

And your line about the glue gun sounds like a great start to a mystery novel: "The glue gun. One temperature. Burning hot." ; )

Hi @haphazard-hstead! Good to hear from you. Thanks so much for your fantastic comment. I had no idea that you could eat young milkweed plant parts and that's a great addition to this post, which I greatly appreciate.
I can tell you that as a result of my Burning hot, glue gun experience, I was swearing a blue streak in both my country's officially languages. LOL!

Young milkweed shoots are among the best of the best of spring greens. Restaurant quality food! We all need more large patches of milkweed plants -- the Monarchs and all of us! : )

Making a wreath from natural materials is a such a great foraging project! There's so much room for creativity and using what materials are right around anyone -- from grapevines, to evergreen boughs, to turkey feathers and milkweed pods! Great foraging! :D

I learned that no 2 clumps or stands of milkweed is the same so if anyone decides to collect pods to make art or crafts with, they should try to collect the pods from the same grouping of plants. Even colour differences were noticable, as well as the size and shape of the pods. :)

@rebeccaryan,
You didn't waste Turkey Feathers! This is awesome! And today is the first time I heard about "Milkweed Pods" as well! As your teachers said, you got writing and artistic skills in your blood! Small motivation or inspiration bring them out as different ways! Sometimes photography, sometimes cannabis extraction, sometimes writings about something crazy! After all you made a nice wall mount (I think this can be hand on wall) decoration by using that turkey feathers!
Great work from you as always!

Cheers~

Hi @theguruasia!
The Turkey lives on in memory and forever in this artwork which is mostly definitely meant to hang on a wall or a door.
Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement. ;)

Rebecca
It is so good to see you back. I was worried about you and @knarly327.
I know that you are very busy. As this post has implied.
Everything takes so much time. Your work and daily care of every day living is already too much.
I love that you used mostly all original materials to build your wreath.
It is unusual and I haven't seen anything like it.
As time permits. I can see that you will be freeing your special art ability to create even more eye catching masterpieces.
Words fail me. Just let the photos tell your story. I would just miss the beauty and the charm of your work.

Francis

Thank you for taking such good care of me Francis! I really appreciate you and I miss you. I will get back on track eventually. I've got things a little off balance lately with lots of irons in the fire.
This time of year, I have extra demands from my business so that has been part of it, too.
My day job is really cramping my style. LOL!
I cannot wait to have the freedom just to do what I want to do and not have to hoop jump for anyone else.
Maybe that is a pipe dream...I don't know.
Rebecca

@rebeccaryan - Ma'm, this is wonderful.... You have the talent, you have the idea.... I could remember the day you keep those Turkey feathers... But I never thought you will use them to create a beautiful wreath.... I have no doubts about your talent of writing, artworks, your knowledge of cooking & etc.... Glad to found a multi functioning iron woman in Steemit community.....
To get more audience, I wish to ReSteem your post.

+W+ [UpVoted & ReSteemed]

Hahaha! Thank you @steemwija! I can own that new label of a multi-functional iron woman. I like that much better than mediocre unless inspired label that I've been owning for the last 33 years. LOL!
I really wanted to do something special with the beautiful turkey feathers and I have figured out a way to turn them into art that can hang on a wall of grace a table as part of a centrepiece. Thanks for reading and commenting @steemwija, I really appreciate it. ;)

Now this is really very creative my friend! Each one of us has different hidden talent and here I saw a new talent of yours. I am really very surprised by the final product, so unique.
Oh by the way, i have been burned by the glue gun quite a lot of time!Lol! This is painful!
Wish you a lovely day/evening ahead my friend! Here I am just waking up and it's a lovely Tuesday morning!

Thank you Chef! I hope you and @creativewoman have a fantastic day too.
I can tell you that I was yelling TABARNAK! at the top of my lungs on a few occasions.
Yeah, not under my breathe at all. After the first time, I barked at @knarly327 not to come running to my aid as I had successfully melded yet another small gold ball to my fingertip. Give me a parring knife slice with lemon juice any day! LOL! I can laugh now, but in the moment I never wanted to see another ball again. Hahaha!

we played with coma like fluff milkweed in my childhood, they flying in air to coming down and we again blow it for fly. it about a cotton seed. you make a good handy craft with the special collecting stuff, your idea is brilliant.

Thank you so much @sheikh27! I really enjoyed your memory of your childhood, playing with milkweed in the air. Thanks for sharing that sweet story. :)

thank you too, you help to remind me that memory which is going lo erase!

Wow, I realized long ago that you are my friend, love creative experiments, but to make such a wreath, this is above all praise. Particularly struck that all the materials for the wreath were also your merit and imagine with pleasure you made this wreath! Thank you @rebeccaryan

Thank you for comment @serkagan, my friend! It still shocks me too! Who would have ever thought that some dried plant pods, shriveled peppers (which I was actually saving for their seeds) and some feathers could look so interesting. I think that the colours and textures all work nicely together, too. ;)

Of course, your post taught(!) "Not Be Paralyzed By The Fear Of The Unknown" :)

That was one of the most valuable lessons of all. Thanks for reading and commenting @superstar2018!

You're most welcome @rebeccaryan!
Of course, overcoming 'paralysis' while experimenting with the trial and error route on this platform. :)

My dear friend @rebeccaryan ( how great it is to produce such beautiful art in the magnificence and be auty of the picture
The image from the first look can be said reproduced but I stopped many photos and found them made by way of this and so amazing
Very cool my girlfriend

greetings @walidsalah

Thank you @walidsalah! As you can tell, I am behind in my regular Steemit activities. My regular day job is getting in the way. LOL!