SEPTEMBER MUSINGS
Seasonal stories and notable happenings from the team behind Ochre Botanical Studios.
Thank you for joining us here!
I feel the shift in season, deep in my creaky bones, perhaps this year more than ever. From frozen fingers in the frosty morning to thawing out and quickly stripping off layers upon layers of knitwear by the afternoon, it’s the month of golden light, brassy leaves and saying farewell to the swallows and, as ever… I’m not quite ready for it.
In an attempt to lean into autumn, I find myself unwinding in the evening by sitting soft, picking up my knitting (long neglected since March) and putting on some music to guide me through to nighttime as the light fades. Be it a deep dive into a favourite musician’s catalogue (always Bill Callahan), a well-loved playlist created some years ago or cracking into otherwise disregarded genres (the other night Dave Brubeck took us on a smooth jazz journey). Failing that, WFNU gets switched on.
Like scent, music is so powerfully evocative, making for a perfect pairing when flowering. The first few beats of a song and I’m transported straight into the heart of a memory. Lullabies sung to kittens from childhood or a sudden recall of lyrics from a made-up song – one based on my then-favourite colours, titled ‘lime green and orange’ set to a swing-inspired melody. There’s a song by Hayley Heynderickx where she loudly proclaims ‘I need to start a garden!’ which never fails to bring back early Ochre days, amongst growing frustrations of working with imported, plastic-wrapped flowers and subsequently carving out our little growing space at Granton.
Music so often sets the tone for our make days in the studio. The coffee gets made and the tunes go on: a playlist that is gentle enough to stimulate creativity but punctuated with something more jolly to prevent us from slowing down to a stop. Personally, I enjoy making arrangements to music that’s going to help calm any anxieties, though Claire admits she likes something more frenetic and ‘perhaps a little sweary’ to motivate her when cleaning buckets. For Marion, if the overwhelm is too much and she can’t make decisions, she’ll put Radio 3 Unwind on until she starts to hear violins playing in her head, by which point it’s abruptly turned off.
I read that listening to music can host a whole array of positive outcomes. The right tunes can not only reduce blood pressure, relieve muscle tension and trigger endorphins, but also impact mental abilities, improving concentration, cognition and communication skills – all of which feel vital when creating floral pieces as a team.
To commemorate a tuneful September, I’ve compiled a couple of playlists to accompany this newsletter: the first is the kind of music that might be playing in the background when we’re on make days in our studios; the second is specifically of flower-related songs to get the creative juices flowing. Enjoy!
Upcoming Workshops
WALK, GATHER, CURATE – ERDA ON TOUR
Sunday 5th October from 10:00 until 14:30
Join Becky of Erda Botanicals as she tours the country, spreading her joy of the landscape and its offerings. Create a tiny natural world, a fairy garden, using your gathered goodies.
AUTUMN BOWL WORKSHOP
Saturday 25th October from 14:00 until 16:00
Claire and Julie will guide you through making a seasonal bowl arrangement, celebrating autumn at its finest: textures, seed heades, grasses and delicate foliage as well as the last of the season’s flowers.
FESTIVE WREATH WORKSHOPS
Saturday 29th November at the Floral Studio
Saturday 6th December at Edinburgh Park
We presently have two offerings for festive wreath-making for you to create a beautiful, textural wintery adornment for your door.
We would also love to hear from you should you wish to organise a private wreath workshop for your pals or for your workplace.
Until next time...
