I’m not sure when my passion for anything made from wicker started.
There’s a blurry faded picture of me I found taken shortly after my birth in 1947. It shows me as a newborn, wrapped in a receiving blanket and placidly laying face up in a wicker bassinet like the one pictured below. These basket-shaped baby beds were ubictiquous in the homes of world War 2 war brides and their husbands, young veterans who had just returned stateside after fighting in World War 2. Some stood on legs or a wheeled stand and families sometimes passed them down to the next generation – as mine did.
I used my wicker bassinet after the birth of my first three sons, but where it is now remains a mystery.
But there was nothing mysterious about my burgeoning love for “anything wicker” that continues to this day.
“Why?” I often ask myself.
I know that a piece of wicker in a room gives off both a warm and relaxed vibe – a notable glow. I conjure up vintage beach cottages and shaded front porches – all places we can settle in and stay put for a while.
And if are like me and eager to change up a room’s functionality, wicker – being lightweight – is easy to move and adapts to the tone of its surroundings. Anything made from wicker is like a chameleon – conjuring up a traditional vibe, a modern vibe or a funky bohemian vibe depending on the rest of the room’s elements and accoutrements.
And being a life-long crafter, the fact that wicker is woven and shaped by human hands – well, there is just something so appealing about that fact.
I also was overly impacted by an older friend who shared my passion for wicker furniture and would drive around ethnic areas of Tampa in the early 1970’s on the lookout for random pieces of wicker on front porches. When sighted, she pulled her oversized sedan into the nearest parking spot, climbed the stairs to a stranger’s front be porch and brazenly rang the bell. Minutes later, her wallet was lighter and the wicker piece was resting firmly in place in her back seat. And the occupant of the home had a bright, but somewhat slightly startled smile, plastered across her face.
I was not that brazen.
I scavenged for lone wicker pieces at thrift shops and antique stores and over the years my collection grew. When my husband and I moved into our dream house many years later, the first thing we splurged on was a brand new wicker couch, chairs and side tables.
Years pass – my collection grows. At last count, I have over 20 pieces of wicker furniture in my house – night stands, a couch, high back chair, ottoman, jewelry holder, chaise lounge, two hope chests, etc.
And I know that if I ever downsize, those pieces will be high on my list of things to keep close.
A few months ago, I read in the WSJ about an emerging concept called a Green Burial. It’s using a casket that basically breaks down easily and returns your remains to nourish the earth.
Intrigued, I filed it away in my Funeral File after researching a bit about what a green burial entails.
It’s a less contrived burial – designed to let the body return naturally to the earth while minimizing environmental impact.
There are no embalming chemicals nor concrete burial vault surrounding the coffin.
The body is placed in a biodegradable covering or container allowing natural contact with the soil. The covering can be a cotton shroud, a plain wooden coffin, or a wicker casket.
BINGO!
Yesterday I received a notice from the funeral home in Ohio where my husband and I have our final resting place, plots and burial instructions. In the body of the note was a section on green burials. Curious, I clicked on it and three pictures of choices for caskets for green burials popped up.
All three were made of wicker.
Somehow I found that hugely comforting.
I picked this one.
How ironic. I started out in life enclosed with wicker and I’ll go out enclosed in wicker too. From cradle to grave.
Of course, I won’t be needing a wicker container with wheels this time – as I won’t be going anywhere.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
PS: As Harry Cohen’s mom, you might expect me to sing his praises. So I thought I’d let the Tampa Bay Times do the talking:
“Harry Cohen is everything voters should want in a county commissioner — dedicated, hard-working, experienced, highly competent.”
— Tampa Bay Times, October 2026
Those words mean a great deal to a mother. But what matters most is what they mean for the people Harry serves.
If you’re able to vote, I hope you’ll support Harry Cohen for Hillsborough County Commissioner, District 1. And pass this on to your friends and family too.
Thank you so much!