Vol. 15 | The Flora Issue
The Essence of Living Locally
www.tellnewengland.com
- A Magazine for New England -
Flora. A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR New England’s native flora is varied and unique, influenced by the diverse landscape of the region. The rocky coastline is brushed a goldenrod yellow while the northern woodlands are populated with white and red pines as ferns weave around their base. Black-Eyed Susans seemingly flourish along the highways while Lupines paint the rolling hills of the northern parts of the region. Flora is much more than the rigid pines, boundless ferns and wild flowers that we instantly thing of when we thing of ‘flora’. It’s also the fruit-bearing plants and deeply-rooted vegetables , the pond-lillies and the water-lillies, The bladder-wort and the eel-grass. How has this diverse flora shaped New England? How has it influenced our communities, our artists, the small shops, farms and the region’s dinner table? This issue sets out to see how the native plant life of New England has done just that.
Table of Contents How To: Chase a Lupine Words by Sarah Cahalan Photos by Jenn Bakos PG. 8
In Search of the Wild Leek Words by Ashley Herrin Photos by Linnaea Meyer PG. 44
Meet the Maker: LaLa Earth Words and Photos by Jenn Bakos PG. 16
Meet the Maker: Brainstorm Words by Ashley Herrin Photos by Jenn Bakos & Ashley Herrin PG. 50
DIY Forest Salve Recipe by Lauren Murphy, LaLa Earth Photos by Jenn Bakos PG. 24
Art in the Forest Words by Ashley Herrin Photos by Jenn Bakos & Ashley Herrin PG. 68
Tasty Teas (& more) from Trees: Black & Yellow birch Words by Russ Cohen Illustrations by Sarah Pluta PG. 28
A Vessel for New England Flora Interview by Diana Lempel Photos by Meghan Flynn PG. 84
Finding Mindfulness in the Ephemeral Words by Kate Cholakis Illustrations by Ashley Herrin PG. 34
Botanical Inspirations Words by t.e.l.l. New England & Of Note Stationers Photos by Jenn Bakos & Ashley Herrin PG. 92
HOW TO
CHASE A LUPINE. Words by Sarah Cahalan Photos by Jenn Bakos
“... YET THERE S HE S TANDS , BURSTI NG WI TH C OLOR, BURNING WI TH DEFI ANC E.” - CA ROLYN MARQUIS
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Driving through New England in those sunny June days that straddle spring and summer, there’s a sight on the roadsides you’re as likely to encounter as lobster shacks on the coast and black flies in the air. Field after field of Lupinus polyphyllus — those tall purple flowers known more commonly as lupines — brighten our landscapes at this time of year, and the good people of New England have built an entire tourism industry around their photogenic blooms. These spindly wildflowers are well worth chasing after, and you could certainly go the old-fashioned route. B&Bs in prime lupine territory (New Hampshire’s Sugar Hill Inn, for instance) often cook up lodging packages centered on lupinespotting, and towns around the region offer purple-flower-heavy festivities, from wine and paint nights to full-blown festivals. But to really make the best of lupine season, you need to chase these beloved blossoms like a local.
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To settle in for your petal-peeping, trade the charming country inn for a night under the stars. Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire’s White Mountains sits right on the edge of some of the region’s top-notch lupine fields. Pitch a tent and explore your corner of the park for stunning views of all kinds, including a few peppered with those telltale splashes of purple. For a single-day lupine watch, the formula is simple: pick a back road, any back road. The northern reaches of New Hampshire and Vermont and large swaths of downeast Maine are all known for their purple roadside spectacles this time of year, so pick a route where people won’t mind your constant stopping for photo ops, and get Instagramming. Another classic tenet of lupine tourism is art themed around the stalks. You can probably find some waiting-room-worthy paintings and photos at small-town art fairs around the region, but making your own is even better. Grab some canvases and watercolors, snag a few six-packs of lupine territory craft beer (Woodstock Inn Brewery’s Lemon Blueberry Pale Ale or Maine Beer Company’s Peeper are summery favorites), and make your own DIY boozy painting night. Lupines’ soft purple stalks are easy to recreate at home, even if your artistic skills are more kindergarten art class than Albert Bierstadt. (If you insist on a ready-made bit of nature art to take home for Mother’s or Father’s Day, try on-trend creatives with pieces devoted to our local animals and plants, like wildlife illustrator Matt Patterson or Dover, NH, based Brainstorm and their range of prints inspired by herbs, leaves, and national parks.)
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Wondering how to transplant those violet-hued stunners to your own backyard? The pros’ tip is to keep them contained to your camera roll rather than your garden plot. You can buy lupine seeds at certain regional plant shops — the Vermont Wildflower Farm is one source — but these flowers are truly wild. They function best when they’re ignored and left to bloom on their own, without the overattentive hand of a pruning, watering green thumb. If you absolutely must have a lupine for yourself, we won’t tell if you pluck one from its home and toss it into a vase for a couple of days. Despite their ubiquity in New England and their fame as a regional sightseeing favorite, lupines actually aren’t native to this part of the world. They’re also technically considered invasive — so snipping one is almost like doing that field a favor. The best thing to do with lupines, though, is to simply appreciate them. Drive north into the mountains or east to the shores of Maine. Stop at that summer-only ice cream stand. Toss a blanket in your trunk or a sketchbook in your daypack and go exploring — and let these purple, flowering majesties come to you.
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MEET T H E MA KER
LALA EARTH Words
&
Photos by Jenn Bakos
AN INT ERVIEW W I TH L AU RE N MU RPH Y, THE VER MONT H E RB AL I ST AN D FOU NDE R OF ALL-NAT U R AL SKI N-CARE L I N E , L AL A E ARTH .
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Lauren Murphy, the founder and creative mind behind LaLa Earth is the connective tissue between the native plant life of the region and a product line benefitting skin and body. Hailing from a small town in southern Vermont, Lauren runs the apothecary and wellness shop where her products reflect the changing seasons, her outward support of the greater community, and New England, in perfect harmony. At home, Lauren creates small-batches of her products in between rounds of tending to her chickens, lounging with her cats and working on projects related to self-sufficient homesteading. This meaningful space that Lauren has created helps to bridge both “work” and “life” environments, ultimately leading to a hand-crafted and small-batch earth-inspired product line-up. Her products range from healing hot chocolates to different types of salves and face toners to smudge sticks. While we chatted, Lauren created a batch of her Forest Salve and explained her interest in not only herbal remedies taken internally, but also her fondness towards topical remedies as well. Her Forest Evergreen Salve, for instance, is a topical treatment that captures the magical characteristics of New England’s winter woods through the evergreen. Rub directly on your skin and relive aches and pains, soothe overworked and tired muscles and heal dry skin. It’s a wonderful post-hike or workout treatment as it warms and relaxes the muscles — it also smells delicious!
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Lauren also enjoys experimenting with different ingredients, scents and flavors in order to craft truly unique products. Her Douglas Fir and Rosemary Facial Tonic – a perfect example of mixing two very different, yet complimentary plants, is a nourishing spray meant to hydrate the skin while enhancing mental focus (a characteristic of Rosemary) and grounding the mind and relieve stress (a quality of Douglas Fir). Truly committed to her surrounding community, Lauren strives to pull her ingredients from local farmers and shops, and work with fellow artisans whenever possible… a faithful steward of New England. While Lauren isn’t busy growing her own business, you can find her working with Milkweed Medicinals (www.milkweedmedicinals.co), a farm located in Hardwick, Vermont committed to selling organic seeds sustainably grown and harvested in Vermont and growing healthy and well-adapted plants for the Northeast region and selling organic seeds grown and harvested right in Vermont. Lauren is passionate about connecting consumers to the earth, which is evident through the values and mission of LaLa Earth. She loves inspiring others to use more holistic products and natural remedies for ailments and educating those on the different healing aspects of the plants that we are surrounded with right here in the region. To learn more about Lauren and LaLa Earth, visit www.lalaearth.com.
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FOREST SALVE DIY Recipe Courtesy of LaLa Earth Photos by Jenn Bakos LaLa Earth’s Forest Salve is an all-natural muscle-soothing balm made from the abundant evergreens of New England. The essential oils found in the evergreens provide not only delicious earthy scents, but provide your tired and overworked muscles some relief from aches and pains, provides anti-bacterial & microbial qualities and helps to heal dry skin.
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DO-IT-YOURS ELF
FOREST SALVE M AT ER I A L S : Lidded jar, size of your choice New England evergreen clippings (white pine needles, juniper, juniper berries, spruce) Organic Olive Oil Beeswax Evergreen essential oil of choice (such as cypress, fir tips, and cedarwood) Small (1-2 oz.) tins or glass jar
METHOD: Grab a jar the size of your choice. Stuff the jar with New England Evergreens. I like to use a combination of white pine needles, juniper, juniper berries and spruce. Fill the jar 3/4 of the way with the plant material. Pour organic olive oil into the jar so that all the plant material is submerged. Pack it down with a chopstick or spoon to release any air pockets. Label the jar and set in a dark place for 4-6 weeks. After 4-6 weeks has passed, strain out the oil using a cheese cloth or strainer. In a medium saucepan, melt beeswax over low heat. To calculate how much beeswax to use, add approximately 1 oz. by weight for every cup of oil. So if you have 3 cups of oil, measure out 3 oz. of wax. Once the wax is melted, add the oil and stir until the wax re-melts. Add essential oil(s) of your choice. Try using evergreen essential oils such as cypress, fir tips or cedarwood to increase the evergreen scent. Pour liquid into tins or glass jars. Label and give out to friends, family or keep for yourself. Enjoy!
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INDULGE
TASTY TEAS (& more) FROM TREES: BLACK & YELLOW BIRCH Words by Russ Cohen Illustrations by Sarah Pluta
Black
Birch (Betula lenta), also known as Sweet or
Cherry Birch, is native to southern New England and the southern half of northern New England. Yellow Birch (Betula allegheniensis) is native to all of New England. Black Birch is a spindly-to-medium-sized tree, typically found in colonies in regenerating forests, which are usually eventually replaced by slowergrowing, larger tree species like oak or hemlock. Yellow Birch trees can be considerably larger and longer-lived, sometimes surviving for over two centuries. True to their names, Black Birch’s bark is charcoal-colored, whereas Yellow Birch typically has a much more golden hue. Another difference is that Black Birch bark tends to be smooth (except on older specimens), whereas Yellow Birch’s bark flakes and peels in fine horizontal strips. For the sake of experiencing these trees from your nose (or mouth), though, the two species can be lumped together. Scratch and then sniff (or taste) a Black or Yellow Birch twig, and its pleasant aroma/flavor is likely to put a smile on your face.
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Yellow Birch is identifiable by it’s golden hue while Black Birch’s bark is a dark, charcoal color.
What you are smelling or tasting is oil of wintergreen*, which is present in the inner bark in each of these species (although typically to a greater degree in Black than in Yellow Birch). It is fun to simply chew on a Black or Yellow Birch twig and enjoy its flavor while walking in the woods, or while cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, for that matter — the oil of wintergreen is present year-round. If you are camping and have forgotten your tooth brush, you can use a Black or Yellow Birch twig as a natural toothbrush and breath freshener. This may not be as far a stretch as it sounds. Xylitol, a compound obtained from birch trees (among other sources), is actually used as an ingredient in some varieties of Tom’s of Maine™ toothpastes and mouthwashes, and Trident Original Flavor™ chewing gum, as it contributes sweetness without contributing to tooth decay. When oil of wintergreen was derived from natural sources and used as a commercial flavoring, it was distilled from the inner bark of black birch trees — as a result, a large quantity of black birch trees were cut down for this purpose. Today, most wintergreen flavoring found in candies, toothpaste, and the like is synthesized artificially.
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The chemical name for oil of wintergreen is methyl salicylate, and it is related to salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin, thus has a similar pain-killing effect (in fact, methyl salicylate is one of the active ingredients in Bengay™ liniment). So, if you are hiking/skiing in the woods and you twist your ankle, you might want to find a Black or Yellow birch twig to chew on; at the very least it would distract you from the pain in your ankle. You can make a very nice wintergreen-flavored tea, at any time of year, from peeled Black or Yellow Birch twigs. I advise you against trying to brew this the traditional, way, though (i.e., pouring boiling water from the tea kettle over the birch twigs to steep them). The reason is that oil of wintergreen is volatile (easily driven off by heat), so if you attempt to make tea with boiling or very hot water, your kitchen will smell great but there is likely to be little if any flavor left in your tea cup. Here’s my recommended method: get a couple good-sized containers ready (like quart-sized, wide-mouth Mason jars). Fill them with cool-to-lukewarm (not hot or boiling) water, then place as many peeled twigs, and the peelings from those twigs, that you have the patience to cram into the jars (the more you put in, the stronger the flavor). About three dozen twigs, and the peelings from those twigs, is a good amount. (A carrot peeler works well to peel the twigs, but if you haven’t got one, a sturdy pocket knife should do the trick.) Then put the cap on.
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To make your own wintergreen tea, fill a mason jar with cool-to-lukewarm water and 3-dozen peeled Black or Yellow Birch twigs plus the peelings from those twigs. Cover with the lid. Let the jar sit for several hours then strain.
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While I used to think that you need to put the jars in the sun for a day or two, and slow-brew it, “sun tea” style, to ensure your finished product has a strong wintergreen flavor, I have since found that just letting the jars sit around, unrefrigerated, for several hours seems to be all you need to do to get a strong-flavored tea (once again, if you have crammed the jars with lots of peeled twigs and the peelings). Oil of wintergreen is also present in the leaves and edible berries of the low-growing plants Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens, aka Teaberry or Checkerberry) and Creeping Snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula). While that gives those two species a similar flavor to Black and Yellow Birch, they are members of the Heath family (Ericaceae) and thus are not botanically related to Birch trees. That said — all four species are native to New England (although Creeping Snowberry tends to be more easily found in northern New England and/or at higher elevations). Birch trees can also be tapped for sap in a similar manner to Maple trees — not just Yellow or Black, but other Betula species, such as Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera), provided the tree is large enough (ideally more than eight inches in diameter). Birch tree sap starts to flow in late March or early April — a week or two after the maples have stopped flowing.
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Many years ago, I tapped some Black Birch trees on my family’s land, and I got about one gallon of sap per hour per tap from the trees. Unfortunately, though, birch sap is even waterier than maple sap (100:1 sap-to-sugar ratio vs. 40:1), and you have to boil the heck out of it to get anything. What you eventually get doesn’t have any oil of wintergreen flavor; it has a look and taste very similar to molasses — but molasses is so cheap and so easy to get at the store, I suggest that if you want molasses, you just buy it – you’re not going to save any time or money making your own molasses from birch sap. That said — if you were camping during the time of the year when the birch sap was flowing, and you were concerned about the safety of other water sources near you, you could tap the birch trees and get all the pure drinking water you needed that way. Last but not least, for those so inclined: you could make your own Birch Beer, by, e.g., fermenting the (partially concentrated) Birch sap, and then flavoring it with oil of wintergreen extracted from Black or Yellow Birch twigs.
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FINDING MINDFULNESS IN THE EPHEMERAL: A WALK THROUGH A NEW ENGLAND WOODLAND
Words by Kate Cholakis Illsutrations by Ashley Herrin
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Woods with trails. Open fields. Leaves and bugs. When one thinks of a “conservation area,” these images might come to mind. Compared with the vibrant cities, towns, and dramatic state and national parks distributed across New England, smaller conservation areas might not be at the top of everyone’s “must visit” list. To some, they might look the same, with forest stands, occasional openings, mulched trails, and interpretive signs. However, a mindful walk in the woods reveals the special uniqueness of each landscape. Owned by towns or cities, land trusts, non-profit organizations, or other groups, conservation areas vary widely in the types of plant communities covering the surface (meadows, boreal forest, peat bogs, heathlands), the form of the topography (steep, flat, valley, ridge), the views they provide, and the activities permitted (swimming, picnicking, bicycling, fishing). All of these characteristics combine to shape an experience — a sense of place — that keeps people coming back. The Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit land trust organization, stewards over 100 properties across Massachusetts. Some sites contain preserved historic homes, like the gilded-age estate at Naumkeag in Stockbridge. Others contain no structures at all but comprise winding trails, rare habitats, and expansive vistas, such as World’s End in Hingham. There really is something for everyone, and the only way to discover a place that speaks to you is to visit these landscapes first-hand.
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My favorite way to experience these lands takes a variation on mindfulness. A form of meditation, mindfulness practice encourages people to focus on the present and refrain from judgement or thorough processing of thoughts entering consciousness. What happens when we take mindfulness for a walk in the woods? What will we notice? How will we feel? You might be familiar with studies suggesting the benefits of spending time in a place rich with plants and wildlife. Shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” emerged as a component of preventative health care in Japan. Studies around the globe highlight correlations between spending time outside and strengthened immune systems, lowered blood pressure, decreased stress, improved ability to focus, and reduced inflammation, among others. One conservation area that comes to mind when I think of “forest bathing” is the Trustees’ Chapel Brook reservation in Ashfield, Massachusetts. Tucked in along a back road, the site is marked with a sign and informal parking area. To the east of the road, Chapel Brook tumbles spectacularly down a series of ledges, forming the popular destination, Chapel Falls. Today, we turn to the west of the road, wandering up the half-mile Summit Trail to the top of Pony Mountain. When we arrive at the beginning of the Summit Trail (a bulletin board marks the spot), we notice a giant, smooth rock face soaring upwards through the forest canopy. Sitting on one of the ledges at its base, we gather ourselves, close our eyes, and listen to the sounds of rustling leaves, singing birds, and
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the stream making its way towards the dramatic falls on the other side of the road. We listen to our breath and feel the dappled sunlight on our faces. When a thought emerges, we imagine it floating away (perhaps down the stream). We arrive. We bat open our eyes, hop off the rock, and continue on the trail, which wraps around boulders hugging the side of Pony Mountain. A creek, a Chapel Brook tributary, runs parallel to the trail to the left. Beyond the creek, another hillside slopes upwards to the west, cradling us within a small, southeast-facing valley, a concave pocket. Moving slowly along the trail, we notice hundreds of spotted green leaves poking up through the composting leaf litter, elongated like fish. Several have short stalks with a tiny yellow, bellshaped lily. You need to crouch down to see the familiar, star-like petals. If the trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is not delicate enough, another small plant bears flowers shaped like the tiniest pair of white pantaloons. You cannot help but smile when holding Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) in your fingertips, admiring how the pants are suspended from a stem as if hanging from a clothesline. The pant-like flowers emerge just as their pollinator — the native bumblebee — wakes up for the season. Lifting your head and looking across the ground level of the forest, you notice slightly taller wildflower stalks with three leaves (which are actually bracts, or modified leaves) and flowers with three maroon petals and three green sepals. This flower, Trillium, seems so simply geometric, almost confident.
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Referred to as spring ephemerals, these wildflowers grow, bloom, and shrivel down into dormancy during a very short window in early spring. They need to produce seeds for the next generation between snowmelt and the leafing out of canopy trees above. The insects that pollinate them wake up around this same time of the year. Many ephemerals rely on ants for seed dispersal. As a result, these populations do not spread particularly far, being limited by the range of the ant. Looking across the river and up the opposite hillside, you notice that these plants cover the land in a shifting mosaic with patches of color and texture. The lush green rises out from the brown leaf litter with a strong force, particularly in comparison with the open canopy above, where the leaves of the trees have barely emerged from their buds. We realize, all of a sudden, that we are in a particularly lush, green place with a diversity of flowers and ferns. We might not realize that all of the factors that we notice (the slope, the aspect, the stream, the vegetation), combine to form a special kind of habitat: rich mesic forests grow in deep, nutrient-rich soils at lower elevations. Understory spring ephemeral wildflowers thrive in the rich organic matter, soaking up the sun from their south-facing aspect just before the larger trees shade them out. The timing seems perfect, almost unbelievably so. Yet, many of these wildflower populations are susceptible to decline due to destroyed and fragmented habitat, collection by people, and other factors. We leave these delicate plants as they are along the trail, continuing up the mountain to the summit, where a sweeping view extends across the surrounding landscape. Our eyes adjust from the scale at which we observed the tiniest of wildflowers to the infinitely long view of the horizon. In a few weeks, a blanket of green leaves will conceal the valley below. This canopy will extend into the distance, beyond the conservation area’s property lines. It will conceal many other unique habitats and hidden treasures. The only way to find them is to pull over by the side of the road, and walk up the trail.
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In Search of the Wild Leek Words by Ashley Herrin Photos by Linnaea Meyer
Every spring, New England’s foragers and culinary adventurers head to the woods in search of the garlicky-scented wild leek – or ramp. The smooth, pointed green leaves begin to dot the landscape shortly after winter’s snowmelt. Their purple or burgundy tinted lower stems pop up in clusters along the wood’s floor, supported by strongly-rooted white bulbs that are bursting with a hybrid onion and garlic flavor. Though tiny in size, they are powerful in flavor, making them the ideal ingredient add-on for any seasonally relevant dish here in New England. When searching for wild leeks, remember; take what you need and use what you take. With wild edibles, especially leeks, in such high-demand in restaurants and dinner tables throughout the region, it’s important to practice moderation – and regeneration. Now, a few tips to help you during your next leek search…
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S T EP 1:
Find & Identify Most notably, wild leeks grow in large clusters in hardwood forests. Search for areas where deciduous trees are aplenty – such as ash, sugar maple, yellow birch, beech and the like — and you’ll be sure to find the elusive ramp. You will often stumble upon islands of green as groups of leeks have sprouted through the newly awoken earth and last autumn’s fallen leaf bed. Their leaves are dagger-shaped and solid green while the stem is red and white connecting to a white bulb. Found a plant that might fit the description? Simply tear of a part of the leaf – if it has a strong garlic/onion smell, you’ve found leeks!
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Harvesting Once you’ve identified the leeks, get digging. To remove a leek without breaking the bulb from the stem, insert a trowel a few inches away from the stem and begin to pry upwards. This usually loosens the full leek from the soil so you can simply pull it away. Digging too close to the leek will likely cut the bulb from the stem as leeks grow into the ground at a bit of an angle. When digging leeks, it’s crucial to only dig a handful of them from each cluster to ensure regeneration. It’s also important to note that leeks are potent when cooked — a little will go a long way in the kitchen, so please only dig what you need.
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Cleaning Remove the papery skin from the stem, leaving behind the full leaf, stem and bulb. Rinse with cold water, removing all the dirt from the plant. Using a knife, remove the roots from the bulb. Use them immediately in your next meal, or store in the refrigerator by bundling together to help retain moisture and flavor.
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Cooking There are a tremendous amount of options when it comes to preparing leeks. They can be sautéed, grilled, pickled, roasted… really, whatever you can cook up! One basic tip from the kitchen; whenever you use garlic or onions in a recipe, you can substitute with leeks. Just keep in mind they are a bit more potent than their counterparts, so it’s best to reduce the quantity of leeks when making any substitutions. Happy cooking!
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Meet the Maker: Brainstorm Words by Ashley Herrin Photos by Jenn Bakos & Ashley Herrin
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On the surface, Brainstorm may not fit the traditional mold of a feature in the Flora Issue. They aren’t floral designers or flower farmers. They don’t own a nursery or garden center either. Despite this issue being all about the native flora of New England, we truthfully did not want to overload these pages with the expected. Like many makers and entrepreneurs we’ve highlighted in the past, we set out again to tell a unique story by scratching the surface a bit deeper. And, just beyond the surface we stumbled upon Brainstorm, the Dover, New Hampshire based print & design studio co-founded by Briana Feola and Jason Snyder. Truthfully, we had stumbled upon this creative duo a number of years ago and were just waiting for the perfect opportunity to approach them for a feature in one of our issues. When the Flora Issue was decided upon, we jumped on the opportunity. Though you still may not see the immediate connection like we did, we’ll tell you all about it in a bit...
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A BOUT BRAINSTORM Briana and Jason started Brainstorm over 10 years ago when they met in college. The pair were students within the art program at Rowan University, a liberal arts college in New Jersey. They happened to meet one day in the print room and bonded over a shared passion for printmaking and design. Not long after, the duo began collaborating on projects together, effectively merging their two art studies (Graphic Design for Briana and Art Education for Jason) for a greater good. Thus, ‘Brainstorm’ was born. Post-college, the pair moved to Philadelphia where they operated out of a live-work space for a couple of years. Briana freelanced on a multitude of projects while Jason worked back at Rowan University. They continued to grow Brainstorm on the side, dedicating nights, weekends and whatever time they could to foster growth of their business. In 2011, unbeknownst to them, a buyer from Urban Outfitters stopped by their booth during an art show in Philly. A month later, the company reached out expressing interest in some of their prints for their home-décor line. The wholesale purchase gave them the moral boost and confidence they needed that Brainstorm could be a successful business. Realizing that running a print business would require more space than their loft, they set out to find a home base and proper studio for Brainstorm. It was no easy task. With no strong ties to Philadelphia, they realized that the U.S. was essentially up for the taking. After much deliberation, they found themselves consistently drawn to the north – specifically New England. So with that, they embarked on a road trip (during Hurricane Irene to boot) through New England in search of the perfect studio space. Drawn to the open floor plans and easy to maneuver spaces of the historic mills of Portsmouth and Dover, they landed at the Washington Street Mill situated along the Cocheco River in Dover, New Hampshire. Six years later, the duo is still there and business is booming.
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T H E C R EAT IVE PR OC ESS Largely, their creative process is a collaboration from start to finish. Jason illustrates all of the small pieces often seen in each poster by hand. Once his process is finished, Briana takes the illustrations and designs and lays out each poster. Together they work to tweak color, placement and the like — essentially passing the poster back and forth until both feel satisfied with the creation. From there, they will print the posters. Jason — the head screen printer within the studio, is tasked with this part of the process. The process of screen printing is no simple task. It is an art form in and of itself – and one that takes time, but a crucial aspect of each of Brainstorm’s creations. Screen printing, or also known as silk screening, is one of the oldest forms of print making. The process essentially involves creating a stencil of an image on a porous, mesh screen (traditionally made of silk). A squeegee is then used to pull ink over the stenciled image, forcing it through the mesh and onto the paper below – thus creating a printed image. Before the duo gets printing, they need to create and prepare the screens (or stencils if you will). Here’s essentially how the process works; begin by taking your desired printed image and make it a totally black negative. You then shoot it with UV light onto a screen the same way you would using black and white film in a camera. In a dark room, you will then coat screens and essentially turn them into giant rolls of film. Next, you will shoot the screen. Whatever is blocked by the light becomes your stencil.
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IN SPIR ED BY NAT UR E Outside of the studio, the pair spends as much time as possible exploring the region and immersing themselves in nature with their sidekick, and studio dog, Maple. Their love for the outdoors is evident in almost every poster they have created, from their Campfires print to their Pine & Beech Family prints to their newly released prints of Maine and Acadia National Park. Their Pine Family print, all made up of the lower classifications of the Pinacea family, include a colorful pattern of hand-illustrated and screen-printed versions of the native trees we see here in New England. The Beech Family print also highlights these native trees in the same bright and poppy way. And thus, our opportunity to feature them in the Flora Issue arrived. When asked what inspired them to make such uniquely specific posters, the answer seemed simple enough. It was ultimately hiking and being outdoors in New England, especially up in the White Mountains. The scenes that unfolded and the scents that surrounded were reason enough to put ink to paper. And that was reason enough for us, too. We always gravitate towards businesses who are deeply rooted in the region, and it’s evident that Brainstorm has found not only a perfect home in New England, but also an endless source of inspiration – from the rocky coastline of Maine to the mountains of New Hampshire to the rolling farmlands of Vermont. Brainstorm has surpassed even Briana and Jason’s own expectations. Today they are not only a thriving New England business, they are a thriving local business who’s work can be seen in the national and global market. Today they are in over 100 stores – all of which they feel are successfully aligned with their own vision and mission – from Maine to Vermont to California and Australia.
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FIND BRAINSTORM IN A STORE NEAR YOU... MAINE Pinecone + Chickadee || Portland, Maine Tayla Mac Boutique || Kittery, Maine Little || Portland, Maine L.L. Bean || Freeport, Maine Daytrip Society || Kennebunkport, Maine The Good Supply || Pemaquid, Maine
NEW HAMPSHIRE Gus & Ruby Letterpress || Portsmouth, New Hampshire Pear Tree Paper || Dover, New Hampshire Tamworth Lyceum || Tamworth, New Hampshire
VERMONT Common Deer || Burlington, Vermont Axel’s Gallery || Waterbury, Vermont
MASSACHUSETTS Magpie || Boston, Massachusetts Tekuma || Cambridge, Massachusetts
RHODE ISLAND Frog & Toad || Providence, Rhode Island
ART IN THE FOREST Words by Ashley Herrin Photos by Jenn Bakos & Ashley Herrin MER GING SCI E NCE AN D ART TO BRI N G ECOLOGI CAL AWARE N E SS TO TH E P U BL I C.
How will the New England landscape look in fifty years? How will the flora and fauna of the region change with the impacts of decisions that are made today? These are big questions, questions that are best left to scientists and researchers. And yet, when they do answer the above questions, we, the general public, are left with a bit of a misunderstanding. Frightened by scientific words and the unknown, how can we truly grasp the problems at hand? In today’s climate, political and otherwise, the urgency to have the public understand the importance of ecology and ecological awareness has become of growing concern. Our children and grandchildren’s future depends on it. With this problem at hand, there has been a growth in science communication collaboration. By scientists and artists/designers joining forces, ecological issues can be communicated and digested by a now-informed public. This is where David Buckley Borden comes in. David is an interdisciplinary artist and designer who is currently in the midst of a year-long artist-in-residence program at Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts. In a nutshell, David’s task is to bridge the communication gap between science and the public through his art installations.
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The Harvard Forest is comprised of 4,000 acres of land, owned and managed by Harvard University. In operation since 1907, the property includes one of North America’s oldest managed forests. In 1988, the Harvard Forest was designated as a Long-Term Ecological Research Site; the site of long-term observation and monitoring of impacts on New England’s natural ecosystem. The property is also the home of The Fisher Museum, open to the public and offering exhibits on current research as well as a series of (very impressive) dioramas portraying the history and conservation of the region’s woodlands. Additionally, Harvard Forest is equipped with research facilities, scientists, students and collaborators (such as David), all actively researching the impact that human and biological systems have on the forest. Their goal is to ultimately monitor how the New England landscape will change over the decades and what forces have impacted it. David has been brought to Harvard Forest through the Charles Bullard Fellowship program. A program which connects artists with the forest, the scientists and the researchers who work there, for a year-long residency to create artwork through collaboration that speaks to the ecological issues at hand. Realizing that they need to reach folks beyond the science community, Harvard Forest has been increasingly using the Bullard Fellowship to bring in creative types. Through the course of the year, David will live on site and collaborate with the lab groups and particular scientists in order to develop work that reflects their research. The year-long fellowship will come to a close in Fall 2017 with an exhibition open to the public. The event will display David’s mixed-media talents and feature not only the larger installation pieces, but also silkscreen prints, drawings and sculptures.
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‘‘ THE UMBRELLA OF MY PRACTICE IS REALLY TRYING TO MAKE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ACCESSIBLE. GENERALLY, THAT’S THE BIG WHY OF WHAT I DO. AND REALLY, I WANT TO MAKE IT CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND TRY TO BUILD CULTURAL COHESION AROUND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. IT’S NOT THAT PEOPLE DON’T CARE, THEY JUST DON’T KNOW ENOUGH TO CARE. AND IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT CULTURAL SHIFT YOU REALLY JUST NEED TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE. DAVID BUCKLEY BORDEN
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David’s work at Harvard Forest merges his unique style with largely repurposed material from the land and eco-trash (aka eco-debris)… leftover materials from the field experiments. The work that David had on display at the open house utilized vibrant colors that one might see in hazard or bio-safety signage. The use of bright colors is intentional – it creates not only highvisibility pieces but also brings increased awareness to the pieces themselves… a visual metaphor that we need to pay immediate attention to ecological and environmental issues. Overall, his current installations and in-progress work have largely focused on three distinct research topics. The first, Hemlock Hospice, focuses on the decline of the Hemlock groves in Harvard Forest. The second focuses on the Landscape Futures Project, which largely does scenario planning and planning for the future; what kinds of decisions can we make today that would have a long-term impact? The third project focuses on creating signage in the woods that communicates certain issues in a bit more playful way, such as a pressing crisis (ie: Environmental Threat Level sign) or everyday phenomenon (ie: Tick Checkpoint installation).
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Outside of the Harvard Forest Fellowship, David’s work continues to communicate science issues. When asked what inspires his work, “the umbrella of my practice is really trying to make environmental issues accessible. Generally, that’s the big why of what I do. And really, I want to make it culturally relevant and try to build cultural cohesion around environmental issues. It’s not that people don’t care, they just don’t know enough to care…. and in order to make that cultural shift you really just need to make people aware.” No easy task, David has created work that helps communicate some of the greatest environmental issues at hand. He has successfully bridged the communication gap between science and the public through his sometimes playful, sometimes serious art pieces. His work has helped to shed light on the serious issues Mother Nature is facing and how our interactions with the land will have lasting effects on the regional and national landscape. To learn more about David and his work, visit www.DavidBuckleyBorden.com.
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Q &A W IT H T H E MA KER
A VESSEL FOR NEW ENGLAND FLORA Interview by Diana Lempel Photos by Meghan Flynn A Q& A W I TH ME G H AN FLY NN, CER AMIC ARTI ST AN D MAKE R OF “PIQU E -FL E U R” VASE S.
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I love Meghan Flynn’s vases and was pleased when she agreed to make these unusual “pique-fleur” vases for my shop, Practice Space. I had seen historical examples – they are close relatives of the “tulipier,” a traditionally tower-shaped vase made for holding tulip – and some florists using them in Europe, and thought that a simple, tiny vase made for holding precious, tiny flowers would be so wonderful in the New England spring, when most of the flowers on the ground are too delicate for a traditional vase. The resulting vases are about 4” high, glazed in pink (the color of the moment!), white, and black. The black creates a high-contrast background that calls attention to the particular beauty of even the most simple and everyday stem, the white and the pink tend to blend well with a froth of colors. The holes allow you to place stems with a great deal of precision, and create arrangements with much more negative space than is possible usually. They are so compact and the patterning made by the holes makes these vases stand alone as objects in arrangements with each other, as well. After spending some time with the vases, I asked Meghan some questions about her process.
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Q
Tell me about how you developed these particular shapes. What did you try? What made them work?
A
I knew I wanted to make simple shapes that curved inward or were completely enclosed at the top. I tried a variety of shapes, ranging from spherical to more traditional vase shapes. I found that forms with a slightly flat top worked best for me for arranging individual stems of buds and flowers.
Q
How did you go about arranging the holes in them, in particular?
A
I decided to leave a larger hole in the center of most of the vases, surrounded by smaller holes. I arranged the holes fairly symmetrically, but I decided on the arrangement spontaneously with each vase.
Q
You told me recently that you have been attracted to vase forms lately. What makes vases interesting to make, as a potter? What makes them challenging?
A
Clay is so versatile, there are so many directions I can go with my work. Lately, I have been loving form. Practicing different forms frees up my creativity and allows me to strengthen my skills as a potter. I especially enjoy making vases as they feel like a bridge between functional forms and sculptural work.
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Q
You have kept some of the pique-fleurs for yourself. What have you learned about your pots from using them, arranging flowers in them? Have you learned anything about flowers?
A
It’s important to me that I take some of my pots home, as I learn so much from using them. Everything I make feels different to me once it leaves the context of the studio. With the pique-fleurs I was able to figure out what size holes worked best and what forms I liked. I like that the arrangements can be very spare. Spring is slow to emerge in Maine and the pique-fleurs are great for single stems of buds and blossoms. I have been using them for more than just flowers - tender green leaves, larch branches, and catkins are all beautiful and often overlooked. My appreciation for all of the plants and trees coming back to life has been amplified. as they feel like a bridge between functional forms and sculptural work.
Q
This is an unusual kind of vessel. What attracted you to the idea, when I first asked you about them?
A
I loved the idea of a simple vessel that becomes almost sculptural with the addition of flowers. Each vase has the potential to take on so many forms depending on the mood of the season.
Q
What kinds of flowers do you find yourself putting in the vases? where do they come from, how do you find them? do you often play with flowers, or is this new for you?
A
Picking and arranging flowers is one of my greatest joys, and I am so happy that it goes hand in hand with making pottery. I pick flowers from my gardens, surrounding woods and fields (in coastal Lincolnville, ME). Every year I find myself enamored with a different kind of flower, and the pique-fleurs are a fun way to showcase the flowers I am most drawn to at any given time.
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BOTANICAL INSPIRATIONS Words by t.e.l.l. New England & Of Note Stationers Photos by Jenn Bakos & Ashley Herrin
In the winter of 2015 we visited the then studio space of Of Note Stationers in Boston, Massachusetts. Co-founded and operated by Isabel Bonenfant and Kate Kellman, Of Note began as a way to shine a light on the hand-written note, something that had all but disappeared in this digital age of emojis and social media. There’s something so beautiful and special about receiving a hand-written note in the mail — there’s care and time spent in writing them — there’s value in the personal nature that makes receiving letters (and writing letters) so special. And so, a suit of minimalistic yet type-centric note cards was born – an attempt to connect people with a simple ‘Remember this…’ Since then, Of Note Stationers has grown. They outgrew their city space and moved to a new studio located in Amherst, Massachusetts. Their line of cards and product offerings has grown immensely in size, too. But their goal remains the same; connect people through the handwritten word. This past spring Kate and Isabel reached out to us after we announced the issue theme. The Flora Issue resonated with them, and their newly released line of illustrative cards inspired by wildflowers of New England. We were more than happy to visit the duo again and to see their growth through their new space and in their new line of cards.
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◊◊◊ At Of Note it is our goal to inspire you to share your thoughts, however large or small, with the handwritten word. We are energized by finding nuanced ways to express gratitude, wishes of support and encouragement, and appreciation for the world around us. For the first year or so we kept our designs typographic, illuminating the power of the words themselves. In the second year we were ready to give life to an idea that had been ruminating. On weekend trips to thrift stores and used book stores we had slowly been sourcing a collection of vintage books with beautiful botanical illustrations. Initially the buying was out of fascination, but it quickly became something we hoped to include in our work. In the winter of 2016 we carved out time and space to create and we hit the books. It was important to us to celebrate the flora of Massachusetts, our home state, so we selected flowers that can be found here. While our typography errs on the small side, we wanted our flowers to be expansive. We remained delicate in our presentation, but let the illustrations become the focal point. At first we weren’t sure if we’d include phrases on these cards, but as the illustrations became a reality we liked the way they gave voice to sentiments we hadn’t yet produced. (We particularly love the conversation the flowers seem to be having on our “you are exactly where you need to be” card.)
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As we move through spring and into summer, we hope these illustrations give you pause and a nudge to revel in the bounty of regrowth this time of year brings. Take a blanket and a pen and paper outside; sit quietly, listen, and look. What do you appreciate in this moment? With whom can you share that appreciation? Perhaps you can convey it with words, or maybe something from your surroundings. We love to pick flowers to press between the pages of a book and send to a friend in the mail. However you choose to get outside and engage with Mother Nature, we hope you will enjoy it.
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VOL. 15: THE FLORA ISSUE
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, ILLUSTRATORS, RECIPE CRAFTERS Sarah Cahalan Lauren Murphy Russ Cohen Sarah Pluta Linnaea Meyer Diana Lempel Meghan Flynn Of Note Stationers
SPECIAL ‘THANK YOU’ TO LaLa Earth Brainstorm David Buckley Borden
EDITORIAL TEAM MANAGING EDITOR Mandi Tompkins FOUNDING PARTNERS Jenn Bakos & Ashley Herrin
LET’S CHAT! SUBMISSIONS submit@tellnewengland.com GENERAL INQUIRIES info@tellnewengland.com MANDI Mandi@tellnewengland.com ASHLEY Ashley@tellnewengland.com JENN Jenn@tellnewengland.com
- A Magazine for New England -
www.tellnewengland.com