Making A Living Wreath

[Guest guest]

This is not only a fairly easy craft item to make, but these wreaths

make lovely gifts, and the possibilities are endless!

 

I personally like to make edible living wreaths. The assembly

instructions are the same as below, just the plant selections are a

little different ... I use herbs and edible flowers (such as rosemary,

thyme, basil, pansies, nasturtiums, etc .)

 

I'm planning on bringing a variety of aromatic wreaths to the

Aromatherapy Un-Conference ... and if there is a demand for it I may

even teach a workshop on making them

 

Happy wreath making!

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

 

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

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http://www.tvrundown.com/wreaths/make.htm

 

 

It's not hard, the results can be great

Make A Living Wreath

 

You don't have to be as talented as Martha Stewart to make beautiful

door decorations. My friend Helen showed me how to make my first live

wreath several years ago, and now make many wreaths as gifts for

friends.

When the gray of winter has passed, the front door seems to beg for

something as lovely as the flowers blooming in the yard.

 

As soon as pansies appear in the garden centers, you can make a wreath

to hang outdoors. Freshen it later in the season when the temperatures

are warmer, by removing the pansies and adding impatiens.

 

Anyone can make this beautiful decoration --- even children, although

their hands may be too small to do it all on their own.

Making living wreaths is a perfect project to do together, particularly

if you are making a teacher gift. Let your child pick out the

combination of flowers, and hold them as you wire the flowers into

place.

You'll appreciate the extra pair of hands, and it will truly be a gift

the child helped to make.

 

Supplies you need to make one wreath

1 wire wreath base

1 spool green florist wire (The gauge of the wire depends on the size

and weight of the wreath you are making.)

1 pack of pansies or impatiens (6 to 8 plants with roots.)

1 4-inch pot of ivy

1 bag of green moss

1 bucket of water

fresh moss dug from the yard (leave the dirt on)

or

sheet moss purchased from a garden center

Choose any color combination of flowers you wish. You can use colors to

complement the flowers in your yard or the paint scheme of your house.

We find a three-color wreath to be the most attractive, with plants of a

darker color as an accent.

For example, if working with impatiens, use two white plants, two salmon

or pink colored, and one or two magenta. Purple or lavender and pink and

white work well, too.

 

Typically, a 10 to 12-inch wire ring can take 6 to 8 impatiens plants,

plus the ivy " bow " at the base.

Look for small, compact plants with several buds. Small plants are much

easier to work with than leggy ones, and result in a nicer finished

product. Remember these are live plants and will grow almost as full as

impatiens in the garden!

 

Preparation:

 

 

Like any gardening adventure, this is very muddy. It definitely should

be done outdoors. Use a table that can be hosed off when you are

finished.

Soak the green moss in water for 5 or 10 minutes before use. Place your

wire wreath base on your work position, with the flowers and moss within

easy reach.

 

Assembly:

 

Begin by unwinding about 8 or 10 inches of wire from the spool and

attaching one end of the wire to the wreath base.

Remove the ivy from its container, roots and all, and place it in the 6

o'clock position on the wreath base. (The ivy will be the " bow " on the

finished wreath, with trailing ends like the ends of ribbon.)

 

Next, wrap moss around the top of the ivy's root ball. Hold another

clump of moss in place on the back of the wire wreath base.

 

Begin wrapping the wire around the ivy and moss (front and back of the

wreath base) to form the first part of the wreath. Eventually, the wire

base will be completely covered by moss and flowers on the front side,

and by moss on the back.

Wrap the wire around the clump four or five times, looping the wire

around the moss from one end to the next to hold it firmly in place.

 

Add a clump of moss (gently packed to be about 3-inches wide) to the

left of the ivy.

 

Pick one of the impatiens plants with its roots, and put it next in line

on the wire base in the 7 o'clock position. Cover it with moss, on top

of the roots and in back of the base, and wrap it as you did the ivy.

 

You will continue to build up the wreath as you add flowers with clumps

of moss in between for spacing.

(If you have moss you dug from the yard or sheet moss you purchased, put

this over the root balls. Use the bagged green moss for spacing in

between the plants and for finishing where there are thin spots. The

dirt on the moss helps provide nutrients for the plants, and the bagged

green moss adds interesting texture.)

 

When you have the plants wired in place all around the wreath, go back

and start filling in the places that are too thin, using additional

moss.

 

Working in one direction around the wreath, put a clump of moss in a

thin spot and secure it by wrapping it with the wire. Add as much moss

as you wish, until the wreath is the roundness and thickness you desire.

 

 

Care instructions

 

Hang wreath in a shady location, protected from direct sun. Water every

day or two as needed.

To water, remove wreath from door and lay flat on ground. Saturate moss

ring with water. Let drain for 15 minutes before re-hanging.

If properly cared for, the impatiens will grow and bloom the entire

summer, often into late October here in the Philadelphia area. If plants

become too leggy during the summer, simply pinch back.

 

Spring flowers usually don't do well in the heat of summer. If you make

a wreath with pansies in March or April, you can change the flowers to

impatiens in June.

 

To change flowers

 

Cut the wire where you want to replace a plant. Remove the old plant

and the moss around it. Put in the new plant, cover it with moss again,

and re-wrap it.

Wrap the entire wreath with wire again, going around it several times to

make certain it is secure.

 

A lasting gift

 

This is truly a labor of love, but the results are well worth the

effort.

To make one 12-inch wreath takes between 60 and 90 minutes. Smaller

wreaths take less time to make, and can be used outdoors as table

decorations around hurricane lamps.

One year we were particularly ambitious and made five wreaths as teacher

gifts in June.

When my daughter returned to school in September, all five teachers

stopped her in the hall to say their wreaths were still alive, and

looked beautiful!

 

Tip: Try Soil Moist

Rebecca sent this tip by e-mail to us.

I start out by lining the entire wreath form with moss that had been

soaking in water for several minutes. I scrunch the moss together so as

to form a tight fit. I them add " Soil Moist " to the soil and add this

on top of the layer of moss. " Soil Moist " are granules that store water

thus reducing plant watering. I add on top of the soil another layer of

moss and then wrap with clear fishing line at one inch intervals. These

wreaths are absolutely beautiful when completed.

 

Copyright C 2001 Standish Publishing Company

 

http://www.tvrundown.com/wreaths/make.htm