Preserve your garden with ink and stamp pad

As each day of fall passes, a bit of summer is lost. Rain and wind have beaten about half of the leaves from the trees in this neck of the woods. The foliage of most garden perennials has turned yellow, then brown.

But a few die-hard plants are still trumpeting their colors. Sage and lamb’s ears are looking well. And the mums are holding their own.

Most people garden at least in part to preserve a bit of summer. Whether you freeze or can garden fruits and vegetables, or hang and dry flowers, the object is to extend the enjoyment of the garden.

If you enjoy preserving your garden through drying flowers and herbs, consider another means of preserving the images of summer: through the medium of printing. In “Nature Printing with Herbs, Fruits and Flowers,” author Laura Donnelly Bethmann provides hints on how to “nature print,” by applying ink or paint directly to plant parts, then pressing their images onto paper, fabric or other surfaces.

“Nature Printing” includes the best methods for collecting specimens, both in the wild and in the garden. It explains how to purchase inks and supplies, as well as how to design the art, taking into consideration planning, composing and selecting colors for the best visual appeal. Bethmann shows the best ways to print whole plants and flowers, even vegetables and fruits.

Although it’s late in the season, probably too late to harvest substantial flowers, don’t let this deter you from trying your hand at what really is an ancient art form. Fall provides ample leaves, mushrooms, mosses and other natural objects that will work beautifully.

If you think you’d like to preserve some of the last bits of your garden, try using the following technique, which has been excerpted from this book, with permission from Storey Communications Inc., Pownal, Vt.

Leaf stamping

The simplest introduction to the pleasures of nature printing is using a stamp pad and a leaf. Once inked on the stamp pad, the leaf can be used like a rubber stamp to ornament letters, cards, envelopes, labels, invitations, gift wrap or other paper surfaces.

To do leaf stamping, you need the following materials: typing paper (or any paper you choose), well-inked stamp pads, and tweezers.

Stamp pads come in a wide variety of colors and styles. Embossing stamp pads are available that use embossing powder and a heat source to heighten the image and make it glisten. You can also use wide-tip or brush-style markers instead of a stamp pad.

For plant materials, choose flat leaves that are no bigger than your stamp pad. They should be sturdy but soft, with some texture. Stamp pad ink adheres especially well to downy leaves such as sage, lamb’s ear, dusty miller or geranium, but many other kinds give good results, as well. It isn’t necessary to press the leaves if you use them immediately after cutting.

You can make several prints with the same leaf. Leaves that readily absorb ink don’t need to be reinked each time.

Step 1: Lay the leaf underside down (the side where the veins are more pronounced and the texture is more evident) onto the stamp pad.

Step 2: Cover the leaf with a small piece of paper to keep ink off your fingers and press all around, feeling the leaf through the paper. Lift the leaf to check that some ink is adhering to it, though it shouldn’t be completely covered with ink or the leaf’s texture will not appear when it is stamped.

Step 3: Carefully remove the leaf from the stamp pad with tweezers.

Step 4: Lay the leaf inked side down on the printing paper. Cover it with another piece of paper and press with the heel of your hand. If the leaf is large, hold it in place with a thumb while pressing all around with the other hand. If the print lacks detail, your leaf may have absorbed too much ink. To get rid of excess ink, press the leaf on a piece of scrap paper a few times. If the image doesn’t improve, use a fresh leaf.

If the technique of leaf sampling interests you, you’ll surely want to take a look at Bethmann’s book, which includes more advanced printing techniques. “Nature Printing with Herbs, Fruits & Flowers” is available in hardcover (ISBN 0-88266-929X) for $22.95 U.S./$32.50 Canada. To order directly, write Storey Communications, Inc. P.O. Box 445, Pownal, Vt. 05261, or call (800) 441-5700, Dept. YP.

Your questions

Q: What exactly is vermiculite? P.L., Skowhegan

A: Vermiculite is a form of mica. It is exposed to a heating process that essentially makes the rock explode and expand. You’ll recognize vermiculite as the silvery, accordionlike material in professional potting media. It is used to increase the air- and water-holding capacity of the mixture. It is also frequently used on its own as a medium for rooting cuttings.

Reader connection

The gardening magazine People, Places and Plants will hold its first Who’s Who in Horticulture, a public event to benefit the horticulture scholarship funds at Southern Maine Technical College and the University of Maine in Orono, on Nov. 7 at the Augusta Civic Center.

Beginning at 4:30 p.m., the event will feature presentations by educators, Extension personnel and other noted members of the Maine horticulture industry. There will be a benefit auction, entertaininment and dancing throughout the evening. Everyone is welcome, and a minimum donation of $25 per person is requested. For information, contact People, Places and Plants at P.O. Box 605, Gray 04039, or call 428-4001 or (800) 251-1784.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, c/o Maine Weekend, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.