Charlotte Pemberton
Why a Garden Wreath Beats Anything Shop-Bought
There is something quietly satisfying about a wreath that began its life as a tangle of ivy at the bottom of the garden. Shop-bought wreaths, however pretty, tend to arrive plastic-wrapped and slightly dusty, and they rarely last beyond a fortnight before the berries drop and the faux-pine starts to look tired. A wreath made from your own cuttings is a different creature altogether: it smells of resin and damp earth, it changes through the season as buds open and hips soften, and it costs nothing but an hour of your time and a pair of secateurs.
The method is forgiving. You need a ring, some pliable material to bind with, and whatever your plot is offering that week. If you can tie a shoelace, you can make a wreath.
Choosing and Preparing Your Base Ring
You have three good options for the base, and the one you pick depends on whether you want the wreath to last a season or a fortnight.
- Willow or dogwood — the traditional choice. Cut whips in autumn or winter when the sap is down, then soak them in a bucket of water overnight to make them supple. Bend three or four lengths into a circle roughly 30cm across, twisting as you go, and tuck the ends in behind earlier coils. Willow shrinks as it dries and grips beautifully.
- Wiry vine or honeysuckle — lovely for a rustic, knobbly look. Honeysuckle is easier to work with when freshly cut; strip the leaves and wind it round a bucket to train the curve before you begin.
- Floristry wire — a 2mm aluminium wire ring is quick, invisible once covered, and reusable for years. Twist two lengths together for a sturdier frame if you plan to hang it on a gate that catches the wind.
Whichever you choose, make the ring slightly smaller than your finished wreath, since the foliage will add bulk. Work over a sheet of newspaper on a kitchen table, and keep a ball of thin green garden twine or reel wire to hand for tying in.
What to Cut and When to Cut It
The best wreaths are gathered in short, cheerful forays rather than one grand harvest. Take a basket and cut small quantities from several plants, because variety is what makes the thing sing. Aim for a mix of textures, colours and scale.
- Evergreen structure: ivy (trailing or bush), holly, bay, yew, box, rosemary, and the smaller conifers. These form the bulk and hold the shape.
- Berries and hips: holly berries, rosehips, hawthorn, cotoneaster, snowberry, and the last of the crab apples. Handle them gently; bruised fruit rots fast.
- Dried seed heads: teasel, honesty (the pearl discs are wonderful), allium, cardoon, nigella, poppy pods and dried hydrangea heads.
- Scent and contrast: a few sprigs of eucalyptus, dried lavender, or a handful of old man's beard if you have it scrambling through the hedge.
Cut in the morning after dew has dried, and plunge stems into water the moment you get indoors. Anything you plan to dry should be hung upside down in a cool, dark, airy place for a fortnight before use.
Building the Wreath, Layer by Layer
Work in one direction all the way round, keeping the foliage pointing the same way — clockwise is customary for a wreath that will hang on a door. Start at what will be the top and bundle three or four short sprigs together, laying them along the ring. Bind the bundle to the base with a few tight turns of twine, then lay the next bundle so it overlaps the stems of the last, hiding the ties.
Continue until you meet your starting point, then tuck the final bundle under the first and tie off firmly. The whole ring should look full and slightly untidy in the best way. Now add your accents: push berry sprigs and seed heads into the greenery and secure each with a small loop of wire through the base rather than stabbing the ring, which loosens everything.
Resist the urge to fill every gap. Foliage needs air to stay fresh, and a wreath that is packed too tightly will sweat and go mouldy within days.
Keeping It Fresh Outdoors
This is the single most important habit: hang your wreath outside. Cold, damp air and gentle rain keep cut evergreens plump and glossy, whereas a warm sitting room will shrivel them in a week. A porch, shed door, gate or north-facing wall is ideal, sheltered from the worst gales but away from radiators and fires.
Mist the wreath with a spray bottle every few days in mild spells, and dunk the whole thing in a bucket of cold water for ten minutes if it starts to look dull, then let it drip dry before rehanging. If you have used a willow base, the ring itself will continue to dry and tighten, holding everything in place without complaint.
Small Variations Through the Year
The same technique carries you through every season with a change of palette. In spring, use pussy willow, budding birch and forced narcissi. In summer, a wreath of lavender, rosemary and dried chamomile hung by the back door keeps the kitchen smelling of the garden. Autumn invites hips, seed heads and the first russet leaves; winter asks for holly, bay and yew. Refresh a tired wreath by pulling out the faded sprigs and pushing in fresh ones — no need to begin again. Make one, hang it out, and you will find you never buy another.
