- DIY Christmas wreath creation
- Nature-inspired, cost-effective
- Personalized festive decoration
A Christmas wreath adorning the front door is an ideal way to begin the holiday season’s festivities. However, it is an unnecessary expense that we could all do without.
With the assistance of a seasoned horticulturist, we discover how to forage in the garden and hedgerows to fashion an ideal advent decoration for nothing. By applying her advice, one can achieve cost savings and acquire enjoyable new abilities.
A stroll through the countryside during this season is not only a refreshing way to clear the mind before the holiday season but also affords horticulturist Geraldine Shaw the chance to make preparations for the forthcoming celebrations. As a result, I am content to meander down the lane aimlessly; an expert from the Royal Horticultural Society is searching for many holiday decorations to incorporate into a wreath.
“You do not need to spend a fortune on a fancy Christmas wreath from the stores, where you can spend £50 or more,” advises Geraldine. “Instead, I recommend that you spend time appreciating the free materials that surround you in the garden and nearby countryside.”
“A little bit of pre-planning can help you identify plants that you might like to include in a wreath,” she continues. “However, maintaining an open mind about what you discover is also an enjoyable experience.”
Additionally, carry a large bag and durable secateurs.
She pauses after a few yards and indicates a fluffy mess near our feet. This is clematis, an alternate name for “traveller’s joy.” “The twine is an excellent wreath foundation.” You can also utilize cedar, willow, dogwood, poplar, or birch. It is not until she extracts a thin three-foot strip of clematis from the hedgerow that I can fully comprehend this plant’s peculiarly attractive yet robust characteristics.
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We then encounter English ivy, which has luxuriant green foliage and clusters of closed buds with a brown hue, which have recently completed their blossoming phase. Geraldine trims off only about a foot of the ivy, adoring our surroundings to preserve the plant’s vitality and health. In conclusion, she directs our attention towards a cluster of red berries positioned high above our heads, signifying the precise location of the vital stalks of holly.
Red and green are complementary hues, representing the opposites on an artist’s colour wheel. Assembling the combination yields a visually distinctive Christmas aesthetic. I am apprehensive that removing clusters of holly berries could deprive the local birdlife of food. However, Geraldine reassures me that there is still plenty for everyone, even though it is a preferred snack of blackbirds, thrushes, and robins, so long as we do not become greedy and only take what we need.
Additional components for the wreath are obtainable from my garden. By removing branches from the cypress, one not only provides structure for the ornament but also performs hedge trimming. We can amass a substantial quantity of moss by employing traditional raking techniques on my untidy, straggly lawn.
Constructing the Wreath
Savage components such as ivy, lichen, cypress, and holly are arranged on the kitchen table. Additionally, we possess a scattering of cinnamon sticks (sourced from the kitchen cupboard), pine cones that were previously collected from the forest floor, dried orange slices (baked at 120 degrees Celsius for one hour), and a spool of florist binding wire priced at £2. However, what is this?
The gardener takes up a 12-inch circular double-looped frame with a suspicious appearance as if it were purchased in a store rather than in the countryside. Geraldine responds, “I am aware that this is a cheat, but these wreath frames are available for as little as £1.” “It can be justified because they endure from one year to the next, in contrast to naturally occurring hoops which degrade with time.” This necessitates setting aside the clematis and reduces the time required to complete the wreath from two hours to one. Sculpted with pliers, I could have constructed a free metal wreath frame from a coat hanger if I had the patience to do so.
The initial undertaking is to insert moist clumps of moss between and around the two tracks of wire hooping. I move slowly around the circumference, securing the moss in position by zigzag-netting wire over the malleable plant. I press generous handfuls into place, ensuring they are at least an inch thick. Geraldine advises, “The completed wreath should easily last a month when hung from an exterior door with a moist moss base; however, you may water it periodically if you are concerned that it will dry out.” “This should maintain the lush appearance of the foliage well into the New Year and beyond.”
Creative Flourishes and Personal Touches
After that, I am instructed to “corsage,” which consists of assembling cypress, ivy, and holly into tightly wound six-inch bouquets. Position every corsage longitudinally along the moss-filled hoop, permitting the sprigs to extend outwards. As I attach fifteen corsages around the wreath’s circumference, I gradually rotate it until every surface is adorned with a lush red berry and a verdant hue. Geraldine suggests we continue using the “rule of three,” an odd number formula utilised by florists that is aesthetically pleasing for finishing flourishes.
She grasps a cone and encircles its base with binding wire in a tight coil before winding two strands at each end to form an inch-long prong inserted into the moss. In her footsteps, I proceed to arrange three cones in an equidistant manner around the wreath. The procedure is replicated using three orange segments that have been wire-wrapped and inserted into the base in three separate bunches and three cinnamon stick bunches that have been bound in string. Put, Voila! This enjoyable activity is precisely what you need to get into a festive mood.
Liberate the imagination. Creating your own Christmas wreath helps you save money and allows you to express your individuality, instead of purchasing a premade one for a considerable amount. Geraldine states, “We opted for a natural green, but you could certainly incorporate a shade of blue.” I recommend eucalyptus, blue conifer, or hydrangea for this purpose. Others prefer to add glitter or a spray of gold or silver paint as a flourish, but I consider this excessive and unnatural.
Enhancing Wreath Beauty with Nature’s Bounty
Additional foliage that can be aesthetically pleasing when arranged in a wreath is lavender, pittosporum, mistletoe, and aromatic herbs like rosemary and bay, frequently encountered in gardens and country strolls. Even dried flowers, such as thistle, pink heather, rose, dahlia, and statice, can impart a touch of holiday cheer. However, they require a couple of weeks to cure in an airing cabinet before use. You can utilize additional preserved fruits for decorative purposes, such as the apple, grapefruit, and lime. In conclusion, why not adorn your wreath with a bow? You could repurpose the ribbon from previous Christmas presents.
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