A real Christmas has to start with a real Christmas Wreath on the front door, welcoming in visitors but also greeting passers by and sort of shouting out Merry Christmas to everyone. I make my own and try as much as possible to use what I find in the garden.
Who has time to mess around with that sort of thing, I can hear you saying? Well, that’s true, they do take a bit of time but most gardeners would have put the garden to bed by now and this is a wonderful excuse to pop out and explore what’s left in terms of greenery or pretty stems of berries. I am always astonished at what I can find. Here’s a look at what cuts the mustard:
Holly is king at Christmas – I inherited lots of it when I moved in but if you don’t have any, consider growing some just for the festive season – you can start small with clipping a sprig to decorate your pudding. You know what’s coming next, don’t you?
Yes – ivy. Again, I was lucky enough to have some at the back of the garden covering an old shed. It is so useful for posies throughout the year really but especially at this time of year.
Now, what else have you got that is evergreen – maybe a leyland cypress hedge, or some box, yew, laurel or maybe something like pittosporum,
or bay, euonymus, or photinia.
And maybe you are lucky enough to have some of these – pyracanthus can cling on to its berries until Christmas if the weather has not been too harsh and the birds not too hungry.
If it has been mild you may not have trimmed your lavender yet and a few sprigs of their grey leaves can brighten up a wreath and bring some scent – as does rosemary. You don’t have to have a lot to make a really lovely home grown wreath. Choose your plant material and bring it in keeping each variety separate.
If you only have one thing, don’t worry – it can look spectacular like the one above which has been made using a florist’s wreath support in oasis:
Soak the above in water and push in short stems until it is completely covered.
Willow or wire rings are more usual but there is no way of keeping the plant material watered – spraying does help though, so it is best to make them just a couple of days before the holiday. This blog gives very clear pictures to help you achieve the look https://gardentherapy.ca/making-fresh-wreaths/
Add ribbon, pine cones or dried oranges as above if it takes your fancy.
Go for a cooler look with more grey in it achieved above with eucalyptus and baubles.
Or just pile on the bling – the fresh and local is underneath and you will know it’s come from your garden. Hope there is something here which has inspired you to root around for a garden fresh Christmas Wreath of your own this year.
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