One of the most delightful ways to add to your indoor plant collection is getting a little start from a friend. The plant will always be a nice reminder of the person who gave it to you, though initially a stem with just a few leaves is not exactly beautiful. That awkward stage is just where Spokane's Brooklynn Graham and her plant propagation stations come in.
During the pandemic, Graham got interested in rooting plants. It wasn't pretty. "I didn't have anywhere nice to do it. I was using old jars and things like that," she says. Then she realized she could make something more attractive to hold the plant clippings and watch as they sprouted roots.
"I've always been somebody that just loves to make things, and I've dabbled in more traditional art as well. I enjoy this because you get something that is functional and beautiful at the end."
For the propagation station bases, she creates her own organically shaped molds and fills them with resin. Sometimes flowers are embedded; sometimes she relies on swirling deep blues and greens, ultimately creating a surface reminiscent of polished agates. Attaching a wire frame that holds test tubes or small vases provides a pretty and functional place for plants to grow roots until they're ready to transfer to a pot.
Graham, who sells her wares on Etsy as Bits and Baubles Art, says this sort of crafting is part of her heritage. "I did a lot of it with my mom, and my grandma especially. We'd have lots of craft days or painting days and things like that. It's been a big part of my life."
Brooklynn Graham will be at Fairy Festa on Sat, June 22 and Sun, June 23 at Spokane Gallery and Framing, 409 S. Dishman Mica Rd.
