Lindsay Buck’s Online Herbarium is a Place of Wonder

By
Chris L
-

Switzerland is known for its flourishing open meadows, with their abundant wildflowers and lush greens; so when Lindsay Buck moved there in 2010, she had a strong desire to preserve this natural beauty. Her plan, both practical and artistic, was a simple one: launch an online herbarium – a collection of preserved plant specimens that she would share via her blog and Instagram page. She called her project the freshly pressed, and it spans in both Switzerland and the United States.

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Viburnum lantana. Wayfaring Tree / Wolliger Schneeball 🌿 A large deciduous shrub native to Europe and the British Isles, it is known by its large umbels of creamy white flowers in spring which mature into the bright red berries that hang from the plant now in autumn. It is most often found growing in the wild on woodland edges and in hedgerows, but is also commonly planted as an ornamental shrub in gardens and along roadways. Extremely cold-hardy and tolerant of clay and calciferous soils, it is prized by gardeners for its ruggedness as well as its beauty! Collected: April 21, 2018. 🌿 Ein grosser sommergrüner Strauch, der in Europa und auf den britischen Inseln beheimatet ist. Bekannt ist er für seine grossen Dolden von cremeweissen Blüten im Frühling, die zu den leuchtend roten Beeren reifen die jetzt im Herbst von der Pflanze hängen. Er ist meistens an Waldrändern und in Hecken zu finden, aber auch häufig als Zierstrauch in Gärten und entlang von Strassen gepflanzt. Extrem winterhart und tolerant gegenüber Lehm und kalkhaltigen Böden, wird er von Gärtnern für seine Robustheit sowie seine Schönheit geschätzt! Gesammelt: 21. April 2018.

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“Moving to Switzerland in 2010 rekindled my admiration for the beauty and complexity of the natural world, which I first discovered as a child by wandering the woodlands and prairies of my native Minnesota,” wrote Buck on her website.

“As an adult, I pursued degrees in biology, fine arts, and environmental studies before entering the profession of landscape architecture. While fortunate to have a career that melds my interests in both the design and natural world, the minutiae of the meadows have become my meditation – a break from the bustle of daily life and a return back to the wonder that inspired me from such a young age.”

“In 2019 I brought the freshly pressed project back with me to Minnesota, where I continue to collect, press, and add to my herbarium collection,” she went on to say. “It has been an adventure in rediscovering the species from my childhood, which I now view with a new appreciation.”

Working intimately with her growing collection of pressed specimens, Buck says she came to realize the unique beauty in each plant. Soon, what began as a scientific exploration became an artistic endeavor. Through her online collection, she hopes to connect with others and inspire further exploration of the melding of art and nature.

“I am fascinated by botanical history- how we as humans have applied meaning and value to different plant species as a way to connect to our surroundings and how we can tap into this history as a motivation to preserve and protect our biodiversity nowadays,” she writes. “I believe that designers and scientists can both benefit from exploring across fields.”

But even laymen like us can enjoy her botanical collection.

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Many thanks to @rebeccadesnos for asking me to contribute to the latest volume of her @plants_are_magic magazine. It has been a wonderful experience, to be featured alongside so many great plant creatives! I’ve contributed a very personal essay about how keeping a herbarium has been integral in helping me form a meaningful connection to a new place. Volume 3: Time is out now if you’d like to have a read, and it features many brilliant, plant-based essays, recipes, and tutorials- independently published and ad free! Pictured here amongst some August blooms from my first year of keeping a herbarium. Clockwise from upper left: Centaurea jacea / Brownray Knapweed; Solidago gigantea / Giant Goldenrod; Bistorta officinalis / Snakeroot; Mentha aquatica / Water Mint; Epiolobium hirsutum / Great Willowherb; Oenothera parviflora / Small-Flowered Evening Primrose; Malva sylvestris / Commom Mallow.

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Trifolium incarnatum. Crimson Clover / Inkarnat-Klee ☘️ Originating from Mediterranean Europe, this plant has been cultivated throughout the continent as fodder for livestock. Despite its wide range of cultivation, it has only been found naturalized in Lower Austria and parts of southern Germany, where it can be found growing amongst other wildflowers in fields, meadows, and along roadsides on loamy soils. The plant is edible by humans as well; the flowers can be brewed as a tea and the seeds roasted and used in salads. Collected: April 22, 2018. Gross Siegharts, Waidhofen an der Thaya. ☘️ Aus dem europäischen Mittelmeerraum stammend, wurde diese Pflanze auf dem ganzen Kontinent als Futterpflanze angebaut. Trotz seiner weitreichenden Anbaufläche ist er nur in Niederösterreich und Teilen Süddeutschlands eingebürgert zu finden, wo er auf Feldern, Wiesen und lehmigen Böden zusammen mit anderen Wildblumen wächst. Die Pflanze ist auch für Menschen essbar: die Blumen können als Tee gebraut und die Samen geröstet und in Salaten verwendet werden. Gesammelt: 22. April 2018. Gross Siegharts, Waidhofen an der Thaya.

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Bellis perennis. Daisy / Gänseblümchen 🌿 With a long bloom time spanning from early spring to the onset of winter, these pink-tipped blossoms are still popping up in the autumn-tinged meadows and lawns. Native to northern and central Europe, it is a beloved wildflower with prominant appearances in folklore and decorative motifs. Traditionally it was taken as a tea to treat stomach ailments or used as an oitment to treat wounds, bruises, and burns. Today, the flowers are being more closely studied for their antibacterial properties. Collected: April 21, 2018. 🌿 Mit einer langen Blütezeit, die vom frühen Frühling bis zum Beginn des Winters reicht, tauchen diese pinkfarbenen Blüten immer noch auf den nun herbstlichen Wiesen und Rasen auf. Es ist heimisch in Nord- und Mitteleuropa und ist eine geliebte Wildblume mit prominenten Auftritten in Folklore und dekorativen Motiven. Traditionell wurde es als Tee zur Behandlung von Magenbeschwerden eingenommen oder als eine Salbe zur Behandlung von Wunden, Prellungen und Verbrennungen angewendet. Heute werden die Blüten auf ihre antibakteriellen Eigenschaften näher untersucht. Gesammelt: 21. April 2018.

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