Queen of the Heather

Would you believe I made this heather crown/wreath last year? It dried beautifully, maintaining the original color despite hanging in my kitchen for a full year! I'm trying to save all of my seasonal crowns/wreaths although some sustain their original beauty better than others. Most of my early spring flower crowns didn't last more than a few days despite my efforts to dry and save them. Heather though doesn't fade. It's lovely to have this crown hanging in my home throughout the year, reminding me of this fleeting season when the heather comes into full bloom and blankets the hills with delicate shades of purple. Heather feels like the humbler, hardier, more rustic cousin to lavender, which is why I suppose it suits me so well. Both are lovely, but while lavender is laboriously grown and nurtured (and oft-celebrated summer blossom), heather grows free and wild in formidable conditions heralding the start of autumn and is far less photographed. Still it's the stuff of romantic novels and flawed heroines; a scene that feels ripped from the pages of a Bronte novel and fit for quiet meandering walks. As much as I love a cultivated field or manicured garden, nothing compares to a scene of untamed beauty such as this.