WE CONSTANTLY LOOK FOR INSPIRATION AND RAW MATERIALS
IN OUR SURROUNDINGS.
Luckily we are not in short supply of either at Maison Laugario as we are in the middle of two hectares of woodland and meadow.
I’m a keen forager and always on the look out for useful or delicious botanics. One plant we have encountered in abundance on site is Papyrus. The very plant used by the ancient Egyptians then everyone after them to make paper. This got us thinking about the paper industry and how the old paper mills we would have liked to have supported in the area have shut down. What if we could make our own paper? Not in huge quantities but for small specialist projects, it would also be fantastic to explore and experiment with the process. I’ve already been looking into plants that can be used to extract pigments to make our own paints and colours and my recent turmeric plantation is thriving. So, rather like the monks and their apothecary gardens and the chefs with their kitchen gardens, let’s make a Print Garden! A garden where we can grow paper and paint!
Paper can be made from many fibrous plants as well as trees, even the thorny brambles that grow all over the place can be used. The range of plants and flowers that create pigments that can be turned into paint is pretty broad, but some common examples include Beetroot, walnut, saffron and blackberries.
Cultivating this garden is going to be fun and we’d love to hear any ideas you have about plants or experiences you’ve had making paper or plant based paints.
