Nikola
March 1, 2025
Incorporating Natural Materials Into the Home
March has a magic way of excitedly discovering nature’s bounty as if it were brand new every year!
“The Oak when it blooms / A fox in the brush / A knot in the wood / The song of a Thrush”. In this meditative Brazilian song ‘Waters of March’, Antonio Carlos Jobim describes a medley of natural beauties to enjoy while spring unfolds. As the ice thaws here in the Catskills, it is easy to see why Antonio’s song has moved thousands of people all over the world to do their own rendition. March has a magic way of excitedly discovering nature’s bounty as if it were brand new every year! And much to our joy the bees are waking up to discover it too!
As the bees shake the winter and begin their busy season it is a great time to take stock of all the wonders they provide for us. From the utilitarian to the more decorative or delightful, beeswax is an incredibly versatile material and a great place to start when looking to incorporate natural materials into the home.
Looking to do some spring cleaning? There are a plethora of great natural beeswax products that can serve as alternatives to harsher (and sometimes harmful) cleansers. Just burning a beeswax candle can refresh the home, setting our spaces in line with Spring. It’s not just metaphorical either; negative ions released in the burning of beeswax cling to that stubborn wintertime dust (along with other pollutants), that collect in all of our houses, to help cleanse the home. Beeswax can be used to polish wood furniture renewing its look for the season and repelling water to prevent damage. There are a myriad of gorgeous beeswax wraps that can be used to neatly organize the contents of the fridge, replace single-use plastic wraps or keep toiletries tidy and secure.
Beeswax candles not only have the power to cleanse the air but also the mood of our homes. Since beeswax is so malleable there are many various shapes and colors of candle to spice up the house, refreshing the vibe. However, adorning a home with beautiful beeswax creations doesn’t exhaust itself with just candles! Beeswax ornaments can be made in all sorts of designs suitable for year round decorating. They can be a unique addition to a homemade potpourri bowl with dried fruits and petals, strung into a garland and hung around the threshold between rooms or set aside on a nightstand as a sentimental daily reminder of nature’s presence.
The beautiful beeswax wraps we mentioned before are also a sweet way to bundle a new arrangement of springtime flowers while keeping them fresh! Crocuses, Daffodils and Tulips are making their way out of the soil into the sun and then into our vases for a touch of dainty thoughtfulness throughout the home. Willow buds can be harvested in late winter into early spring and can last indoors for years to come. Cut them long and willow buds create a truly striking vignette in a tall slender vase placed in a corner or as a table centerpiece. They are a great base for homemade wreaths that can stand alone in their simplicity or be added to with flowers or greenery from the coming seasons.
March is also a great time to make space in our homes for starter seeds! In order for bees to stay healthy and produce honey they need pollen and nectar. In turn, this bestows to us the privilege to sweeten up our baking with the comforting distinct taste of honey, add it into our tea on that inevitable spring sick day or just bask in that glorious indulgent heaping spoonful. We can help encourage the health and abundance of our bee populations all while connecting to the gratifying process of nature’s growth. In New York some of the pollen producing flowers that can be started in March are Snapdragons, Milkweed and Coreopsis. Not only will this benefit our dear bee friends but as the seasons press on we will benefit from the enchanting colors speckling our gardens as the labor of our love becomes one with the outdoors.
“It’s a sliver of grass / It is life / It’s the sun”
- Antonio Carlos Jobim
As we peek out from behind the curtain of winter to see that sliver of grass or beam of sunlight we can begin to open our home to nature and its wealth of resources again. We all feel that sweet relief as the world becomes alive in spring and we can participate alongside nature uninhibited. It is a time full of hope, creativity and cleansing as we re-enchant, redesign and reignite our passion for our homes inspired by the churning liveliness of the outdoor world. “And the riverbank talks / of the waters of March / It’s the promise of life / It’s the joy in your heart”