March is National Irish American Heritage Month as well as National Craft Month. In addition, spring officially begins a few days after St. Patrick’s Day, and that means it is time to start planning this year’s gardens.
Pulling all these themes together, those looking for some new ideas for the garden this year could consider trying some interesting old ways of doing things, like planting an Irish-themed garden, and then preserving the plants and flowers for creative uses.
This approach appeals to Kathy Cunnane Figel, the head of the Edna White Memorial Garden, a community garden at 1812 West Monterrey Avenue in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood.
“This is a great way to combine several passions, gardening and arts and crafts,” Figel said. “A lot of people took up gardening last year during the pandemic because they had time on their hands. Now they are sticking with it because it is a great stress reliever, and the outcomes can be very rewarding.”
Figel is an educator with a master’s degree in vocational education and education consulting. She has been a gardener since her teen years, and is also an artist who preserves flowers. She is of Irish descent; her ancestors came from County Mayo.
According to Figel, an Irish-themed garden is not difficult to accomplish and can be approached in several ways.
Gardening “the Irish country way” is characterized by stonework, moss and shamrocks and a profusion of natural wildflowers that attract bees and butterflies.
“A yard with a shady, damp corner is perfect for the natural ‘Irish’ look,” Figel said. “Ferns and ivy are low maintenance plants that work well. And flag iris, a perennial plant that loves moisture, is a perfect choice.”
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Another plant that Figel likes for its Irish connection is fuchsia, which grows dramatically in Irish hedgerows. The tubular flowers are good for attracting hummingbirds.
Wildflowers by their nature are easy to grow and require little pampering. The clover that grows on lawns every year can be considered the American version of shamrocks, although fancier versions can be found.
An important wildflower to include in the garden is milkweed, which needs lots of sunlight to thrive. Milkweed is the only host plant for monarch butterflies and also attracts bees, hummingbirds, and other butterflies.
Much of the land in Ireland is rocky, and removing stones from the soil and stacking them into walls gives Ireland’s fields their distinctive “patchwork quilt” look. An authentic Irish country garden must include some token stonework, no matter how small.
Figel recommends old flagstone as a good choice for a path, low wall, or other feature. Often, by asking around, a gardener can find someone who has some to spare.
Moss is then tucked into every crevice of stonework. The bright green, hardy Irish moss Sagina subulata, which is not really a moss at all, but a perennial that acts like a moss, grows readily in Chicago area planting zones and stands up to foot traffic.
The Irish also maintain outstanding formal gardens at estates, and there are a number of flowers they love to cultivate that readily grow in the Chicago area. These include roses, peonies, geraniums, hydrangea, and asters, the brighter the better.
Decorative items are usually included in an Irish garden, so a bird bath, a stone bench, or even a Celtic cross, fits in. Often seen is the Green Man, a sculpture of a head and face shaped out of foliage, a Celtic symbol of rebirth and the connection between nature and humans.
The colors of the Irish flag, green, white, and orange, can also be a theme. Many different flowers and plants can achieve this look. A few leprechauns, fairies, or other statues can add a whimsical touch.
An Irish garden typically includes a vegetable patch. Besides “homegrown spuds,” or potatoes, traditional vegetables included carrots, cabbage, and parsnips. Today, any vegetables, fruits, and herbs that can grow in a particular spot fit into an Irish garden.
For those into container gardening, most of these ideas can be adapted to smaller scales for decorating porches and patios. And note that even potatoes can be grown in sacks and containers.
Once the garden is established, gardeners can enjoy the results of their labors for years to come by preserving flowers and foliage. This traditional craft, dating back to prehistoric times and popular in American Colonial and Victorian eras, has seen a resurgence in recent years.
There are many resources on preserving flowers available online and in print. For an introduction, the document “Drying and Preserving Plant Materials for Decorative Uses” can be downloaded for free from the University of Florida Extension Service at edis.ifas.uff.edu/ep004.
Flowers or cuttings for drying can be collected anytime during the growing season, from early spring until late fall. They can be preserved through simple and inexpensive air-drying and pressing. No fancy equipment or expensive supplies are needed to do either.
However, drying agents, called desiccants, can be used to speed up the drying process. These range from fine sand, cornstarch and even cat litter, to more complex products like borax mixtures and silica gel. Flowers can even be dried in microwave ovens with the use of drying agents.
Figel prefers to keep things uncomplicated.
“I press flowers in large old books and weigh them down with more books. The pages in old dictionaries are great for this. The trick is to take the flower apart and lay it out in such a way that after it’s dry it looks interesting and unique,” said Figel.
There are endless ideas for craft projects using dried flowers and foliage. Bouquets, garlands, shadow boxes, notecards, decorative covers, sachets, wreaths, framed arrangements, wall hangings, and jewelry are possible ideas. Some gardeners turn their preservation efforts into moneymaking ventures.
Figel recommends a starter project that is even good for children. Pick clover, dry it, then use it to decorate homemade notecards. She uses Mod Podge, a glue, sealer, and finish, readily available at craft stores and online, to set the clover in place. A project like this is perfect for spring and can be started before St. Patrick’s Day, so greeting cards can be ready for that day.
Another plus with this craft that Figel pointed out is that the reuse of the flowers and other items for craft projects supports environmental and sustainability efforts. Figel sells notecards she has created, and has made other framed pieces with dried ferns and white roses. Last year she was asked to press a wedding bouquet. She enjoys going to resale and antique shops to pick up old frames for the finished pieces.
“People should give flower pressing and preservation a try. Pinterest has some great dried flower art that can be checked out. Experiment, use trial and error,” she said.
Gardeners/crafters who get started this St. Patrick’s Day can have an interesting collection of works created from their own Irish gardens to show off by the time the holiday comes around next year.
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Carol Flynn is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.