Garden Centre

Thursday, December 20, 2007

A door wreath from the garden (almost)

You need one wire ring, one bag of sphagnum moss (moss from the lawn usually works just as well, but any florist has sphagnum at this time of year), lots of holly or conifers, cut into four to six inch sections, florists wire, secateurs, and a bow to decorate. Optional extras are citrus fruit, garden flowers and berries. This picture was taken in Bedford Square and the wreath probably cost around fifty quid, but you can do just the same at home for less than a quarter of the price, or - if you strip back last year's wreath and re-use the ring and wire - no cost!


1. Tease out moss and lay a handful on top of the wreath ring, now begin by fixing one end of the wire to the ring and start to wrap the wire around the moss in a series of circles, keeping the wire taut. Continue spiralling the wire round the ring, adding more moss - until the ring is completely covered.
2. Lay the prepared greenery on the top of the moss, adding one piece at a time and securing each with a single wrap of wire. Overlap so that no moss is visible. Work round the ring until covered again.
3. Now begin fix in your decorations: if you want to have oranges, simply buy cheap supermarket ones, slice them thickly and either put them in the airing cupboard a fortnight before Christmas, or give them several hours in a low oven to dry out. For added pizzazz, you can spray the rind with gold or silver before cutting into slices. Cinnamon sticks can be tied in with ribbon, or you can use flowers from the garden – early Hellebores look very sexy, while winter jasmine’s clear yellow is vibrant. I like to use dried hydrangea heads as winter decoration and again they can be brushed with a bit of glitter or sprayed lightly with cold paint. There are berries from holly, pyrancantha or viburnum that can be included too.
4. Tie off the reel wire with a few extra wraps around the wreath, then draw a longer piece of wire up to form a loop to hang the wreath.
5. Finish off with a bow at the top.
6. Hang outside somewhere not too hot and not too cold, and keep the moss moist to ensure it will last for several weeks.

Labels: christmas decorations, christmas wreath, flower arranging, winter colour

The All Seasons Gardener at 2:47 AM

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