Photo by Leila Giannetti
A basket overflows with goldenrod, wild white asters, and late purple asters in this wonderful arrangement of wildflowers foraged at Patina Meadow.
Leila Giannetti grew up surrounded by beauty. Her parents, renowned interior designer Brooke Giannetti and renowned architect Steve Giannetti, filled her childhood home, Patina Farm, with gorgeous antiques, flourishing gardens, and a family of animals to nurture. Today, Leila is quite literally “growing” her family’s new home, Patina Meadow, located on 100 acres in Leiper’s Fork, north of Nashville, Tennessee. She is the creative mind and force behind the gardens on the property, which include the Bloomerie, a cutting and vegetable garden, and the Shed, a venue for educational and community events. Leila also stocks her family’s Patina Farm Shop with organically-grown produce and floral arrangements for all to enjoy. We talked with Leila about arrangements and fall flower foraging.
Photo by Kate Dearman
Leila Giannetti and her mother, Brooke Giannetti exploring Patina Meadow on a fall day.
FLOWER: Tell us about your passion for flowers—particularly foraged flowers. How did it begin?
Leila Giannetti: For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by flowers and their simple beauty. In fact, some of my earliest and happiest childhood memories take place in the backyard of my family’s former home in Ojai, California. I recall hovering over pastel pansies, lush hydrangeas, and anything pretty and fresh that I would use to create my very own floral concoctions.
While the practice of foraging for flowers is nothing new to you, it is for many of us. Why do you think it’s become a hot topic and is gaining so much traction right now?
I believe that as technology becomes more prominent in our lives, we are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature. Many of us spend more time looking at the screens on our phones than at the stars in the sky, and we’re beginning to feel the impact on our well-being. Foraging, gardening, baking, and other traditional wisdoms seem to be experiencing a renaissance because they allow us to refocus on simplicity and reality in a world that often feels complex and artificial.
Photo by Kate Dearman
A bouquet-ready grouping of wild asters, goldenrod, and black-eyed-Susans
Photo by Leila Giannetti
Leila says, "I often find that whatever is growing alongside that special material is often a great pairing. Mother Nature is a pretty magnificent designer!"
So you find that foraging is creative and meditative? How do you enhance your experience?
Anything can be ‘meditative’ if you allow it to be. When I’m foraging, I make a conscious effort to tap into all my senses. I take time to listen closely to the birdsong, to breathe in the fresh air and floral scents, and to pick up a stone and feel its smoothness against my fingers. This helps me become fully immersed in the moment and lets me appreciate the beauty I am so fortunate to encounter. When foraging, I also like to free myself from having a plan or any expectations. Instead, I allow myself to become inspired by whatever I happen to find along the way. Foraging is more about slowing down and connecting with the natural world than about creating elaborate floral arrangements.
Photo by Kate Dearman
"When I'm foraging, I make a conscious effort to tap into all my senses. I take time to listen closely to the birdsong, to breathe in the fresh air and floral scents, and to pick up a stone and feel its smoothness against my fingers."—Leila Giannetti
There aren’t certain materials, shapes, or colors that you tend to look for?
Not really! As I said, I like to keep an open mind. I will walk the trails of Patina Meadow until I come across a special flower or plant that catches my eye and then let that discovery guide the rest of my selections. I often find that whatever is growing alongside that special material is often a great pairing. Mother Nature is a pretty magnificent designer!
Photo by Kate Dearman
Turkey tail mushrooms (Trametes versicolor) with reddish stripes discovered on a fallen log.
What materials do you steer clear of?
I won’t pick any flower or plant that I cannot identify. It’s important to me to check and make sure that my foraged finds are not endangered or harmful to pets or people in any way. If everything checks out, only then do I make the cut!
Why is fall an ideal season for foraging, and what are the best materials to forage in the season?
As the weather cools and the forest begins its transition towards dormancy, it feels good to head into the woods and bring some of that seasonal beauty indoors. I love to forage autumn wildflowers like asters, Queen Anne’s lace, and yarrow, as well as warm-toned foliage. Fall is also the perfect time to harvest seed pods that dot the trails that can be added to an arrangement or used in a collage.
Photo by Kate Dearman
After flowers fade, their fascinating seed heads can still add texture and interest to arrangements.
Do you ever mix store-bought or garden-grown flowers with foraged materials?
Absolutely! Store-bought arrangements sometimes feel too uniform. Incorporating whimsical wildflowers or autumnal foliage can elevate an arrangement by adding unique or unexpected elements that give it quirk and charm.
Photo by Kate Dearman
Late purple asters are found in fields and along roadways.
Do you sometimes dry or press your foraged flowers?
Personally, I prefer drying my flowers rather than pressing them. So much of a flower’s beauty comes from its texture, and that can only be experienced three dimensionally. To preserve my foraged and homegrown flowers, I hang them upside down in a cool, dry space that is out of direct sunlight. Once they are fully dried, I put them in a vase to create an everlasting arrangement.
Photo by Kate Dearman
Dried flowers hang in a window at Patina Home & Garden.
Photo by Kate Dearman
Colorful fall pumpkins greet visitors to Patina Home & Garden.
FLORAL FORAGING 101
Leila shares her essentials for a successful fall foraging adventure.
Taxonomical Reference Book: For accurate plant identification. An app like PictureThis can also help in a pinch.
Pruners: For cutting stems and branches.
A Bucket or Backpack: For collecting materials.
Long-Sleeved Shirt, Pants, and Gloves: To protect against scratches and insects.
