Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

Growing, gathering, and weaving with plant fibers from the Pacific Northwest

Herbs and Flowers Ready For Class

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herbs and Flowers for class
herbs and Flowers for Class

I love to weave, but I love the gathering of materials equally, if not more. It’s the being outside, most often in stunningly beautiful surroundings.

In preparation for teaching the Wild Twined Herb and Flower Basket class tomorrow, over the past two weeks I’ve been harvesting herbs and flowers from our garden, yarrow from the wild borders, and today I received a bounty of colorful statice from our local Persephone Farm, lovingly grown by Louisa Brown, Rebecca Slattery, and crew.

About Melinda

Forty years ago, while sitting on the beach playing with my young children, I made my first basket out of a pile of willow trimmings someone had tossed there. It looked wildly made like a crazy bird’s nest. While being together with my two sons on a beautiful Pacific Northwest shoreline, this simple experience of crafting with the natural materials at hand kindled a passion for creating forms using plant fibers. I thank my family, my community, and all my teachers for cultivating this gift in me.
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Melinda West and basket, Indianola WA