Gardeners who like using nature’s bounty to decorate their homes for the holidays know the secret to elevating those homegrown designs to art is getting a little help from their local florist. A good florist offers supplementary materials to make your designs pop and expert advice on the secrets to creating gorgeous home décor items like centerpieces and wreaths.
Korie Mulleady is co-owner with her mother, Kate, of The Enchanted Florist. In addition to being on hand at the shop to answer any questions, Mulleady regularly shares her vast knowledge of floral design by performing demonstrations on topics like wreath making.
Here she shares her secrets for creating your own fresh-from-the-garden wreath.
Create your wreath base. It’s possible to use cuttings from the garden to make your own wreath form. “Good materials to use for a wreath base that dry well include cuttings from eucalyptus, grape vine, peach and plum trees and Manzanita,” says Mulleady. “Use one material or combine them.”
If you don’t have sufficient cuttings from the garden, it’s possible to get preserved birch branch, curly willow and mossy branch, the latter of which is covered in attractive green lichen.
Separate the materials into four equal piles and then secure each pile together with florist bind wire. Tie each corner together with wire and reinforce with strong adhesive glue. Camouflage the wire and glue with green moss.
Decide on a theme. What do you wish to celebrate with your wreath? Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years? The theme will tell you the type of materials you require to accomplish the look. You’ll also want to decide if you wish to create a formal wreath or a casual design. Formal wreaths should be crafted with a symmetrical design and informal wreaths with an asymmetrical one.
Gather decorative items. Choose a wide variety of decorations to augment your wreath, depending on your theme. For instance, decorate a fall wreath with dried flowers in autumn tones, like marigolds. Also add colorful fall foliage, natural feathers, succulents, ribbon and burlap.
Decorate. Embellish the wreath with your chosen materials. If you wish to change the wreath with the seasons, secure the decorations with floral wire instead of glue. “There are no set rules when it comes to decorating,” says Mulleady. “Go ahead and incorporate whatever your heart desires.”
Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden writer and master gardener, who since 1985 has written for publications such as Organic Gardening, Wildflower, Better Homes and Gardens and The Los Angeles Times. She is the author of seven books, including Reader’s Digest Flower Gardening, Fairy Gardening, The Strawberry Story, and Indoor Gardening the Organic Way, and is the founder of HealthyHouseplants.com.
