This arrangement almost didn’t make the post because I couldn’t pinpoint my feelings about her. However, after writing about Saidiya Hartman’s beautiful garden I think this arrangement didn’t want to be pinned down. I think this arrangement is unruly, wild, & rogue in a way I didn’t expect it to be during the design process.
Saidiya provides numerous definitions of what it means to be (embody) wayward in her book Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments. However, the definition that resonates the most with Rogue Lady is as follows.
“Wayward: the unregulated movement of drifting and wandering sojourns without a fixed destination, ambulatory possibility, interminable migrations, rush and flight, black locomotion; the everyday struggle to live free” (Hartman 2019, 227).
These green tendrils of “unregulated movement” are the main things that make this piece so difficult to pin down. The lightness of the tendrils, commonly known as Virginia pepperweed, makes the firmly rooted carnations soar.
I love that I was able to source & use wild weeds in this arrangement. Weeds are commonly looked at as a nuisance. However, many weeds have medicinal & unique properties to them. For instance, the entirety of the Virginia pepperweed plant is edible! Virginia pepperweed is commonly used as a great substitute for black pepper because, you guessed it, it has a peppery taste.
So here’s to this lovely rogue arrangement ✨.
Please remember if you choose to quote this piece, share this piece, or any piece on this publication to always CITE BLACK WOMEN. Please always include my name (Kay Brown using she/her pronouns) and a link to the Assemblage: Baby’s Breath substack publication in your sharing practice.
To further support my writing practice, receive additional offerings that connect to my pieces, & be the first to hear about other ways to engage in the theory of assemblage, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Soon I will invite fellow unruly folks to practice gathering & honoring with me in a generous clearing ✨. Stay tuned for updates!
Lastly, remember, that referrals are now available! This means you get to speak the name Assemblage: Baby’s Breath out loud to your community while receiving unique grounded gathered gifts from me. Thank you for being here 💙.