A Body of Work

And so it begins. With many stops and starts and lots of feelings of uncertainty, pauses, relocations and recalibrations, I am here now, writing this. It feels good in a way to rip off the metaphorical bandaid and just put something out here into the ether—to no longer view this website as something so precious that it remains untouched and untended. It’s time to tame the wild garden of my imagination about what Floral Overtones could be and start planting some intentional seeds to see what sprouts and grows.

Over the past few years I have been observing plants and landscapes. The events of 2020 graciously encouraged me out of a 15th floor apartment the city of Toronto and onto a farm in the countryside where I spent much time by myself—alone yes, but deep in the company of nature. I learned how and what to forage, how to make herbal medicines, spent time weaving, sewing, singing at the top of my lungs, beekeeping, photographing mushrooms in the forest, building, planting, and tending a vegetable garden, and listening to the coyotes howl at night beneath the stars. It was also quite fortuitous that the confining nature of global events enabled me to access many online courses and teachers that wouldn’t otherwise be available. These classes supported my growth, expansion, and understanding of my newfound interests. I’ve listed and linked some of the courses below if you’re curious—I am so grateful for these teachers.

And as it goes, a new set of circumstances encouraged me to step off the farm and venture out of Canada back to The Bahamas where I grew up. Though finding my footing back on the island I came from has not been easy, I have been delighted to be engaged with the plants and land that raised me through an entirely new lens. I have also been recalibrating Floral Overtones—wondering how I can weave the plants and knowledge that grows at this latitude into my future offerings. The potential union between plants and teachings of the north and south are very exciting!

All this to say, today’s post is a start—just one tiny cell in the body of work I am building under the name Floral Overtones. Though I share a lot on my social media stories, it feels as if I am still keeping many things close and unexpressed—I have a lot more nuanced work to offer to you and I’m looking forward to digging deeper. Moving forward I will be publishing writing here two times a month on Sundays. You can expect a whole host of topics ranging from plants, gardening, bee keeping, philosophy, health, recipes, art—my interests are many and diverse so there is much to be explored and uncovered.

Thank you for reading & thank you for witnessing one of my first big steps into this space.

I’m glad you’re here.

Xx

Ashley

Ashley Tomlinsonfloral overtones