Christmas wreaths are one of the first decorations many of us hang. A decorative and colorful wreath is a welcoming sight on the front door. This year, why not make your own wreath using some of the dried herbs and plants from your gardens. Take a big basket and your sharpest shears, and look for inspiration in your yard and neighborhood wild spaces.
A lovely wreath with a base of garden sage.
Many combinations of textures and colors can be used to make a wreath to complement your front door. First look for plants that make good fillers – santolina, Powis Castle artemisia, oregano, lavender and variegated sage are good starting plants. These are all fairly supple, as well as having lovely scents. Do you have some leggy shrubs like escallonia or California lilac that need a bit of judicious pruning? Add them in. Cut your pieces about ten inches long, and lay them carefully in the basket so they don’t get mixed up and tangled.
Look for plants that will add accents and color, like the flower heads of late chrysanthemums, statice flowers, monarda, yarrow or pussy toes (wild antennaria). Find some with different textures, such as rosemary, fallen cones, trimming from shrubs such as escallonia or firethorn, with its red berry bunches.
Now, you will need a base for your wreath. You can find different wreath forms at your local craft store. They will usually be made of straw bound with wire, or of twined grape vines. Either type will work well. You will also need a sturdy wire for hanging the wreath, some shears, floral pins and needle nose pliers. Use the wire and pliers to make a u-shaped hanger, and insert it in the top back of the wreath form. Use the pliers to curl the wire ends into the base form securely.
Now, make full bundles of your filler and accent plants and fasten them together with floral tape or wire, and trim the ends evenly. Keep the accent plants on top so they are visible. Now pin the bundle to the base, starting about half way down. If your bundle of plants doesn’t completely cover the width of the wreath base, place two or three side by side.
Now, work around the wreath, covering the stem ends of the previous bundles each time. With the last bundles, make sure you tuck the stem ends under the foliage of the very first bundles. Now, hang up your wreath, and have a good look at it. See what needs to be tucked in, covered or trimmed to tidy it up. Use some of the smaller pieces left over, or some of the decorative items as accents tucked into spaces. If you want, add some colorful ribbon spiraling around the wreath or as a bow near the bottom, and you’re all done!
You can leave your wreath flat to dry, or hang it up immediately. Some shifting may occur if you hang it, so keep an eye on it. If it is cool enough outside, you can hang it on the front door right away, and it will welcome your visitors with color, fragrance and beauty.
