The Spring Equinox weekend definitely seemed the right time to dismantle the dead and decaying winter wreath I’d made, way back in November. The vines and ivy were cut back from our green wall in the garden and I had salvaged some of the cuttings which were still a vibrant green with red and black berries. It’s been outside all winter and has withstood winds, freezing temperatures, icy rain and snow but was definitely past its best, with withered leaves and shrivelled berries. So, off came everything and I was left with a metal hoop – originally the circular bottom of a solar IKEA lantern lantern which hung in the tree, but which met its end in a particularly strong storm. All that was left of it was the hoop, which I kept, knowing that one day “it might come in useful”. And it has done. The new wreath has been made from faux sprigs of cornflowers and pink daisies and foliage. I had these already and just repurposed them, so it cost nothing to make. And, although real blooms would be even prettier, they’re not growing the garden yet and obviously have a much shorter shelf life.
MATERIALS :
- Hoop
- Faux flowers and foliage
- Scissors
- Twine
- Hook
and about 30 minutes of your time.
The stems of the flowers and the foliage are made of quite flexible wire, so they’re easy to twist around the hoop and wrap in on themselves. For extra strength I used some very thin gold wire to keep them secure and in place. I’ve no idea what this spool of gold wire was ever bought for, but it’s proved itself to be pretty invaluable for tasks like this one.
I knew that I wanted a wreath, in soft pale colours on the front of the shed door in the garden, and the pinks and cornflower blues were perfect against the pale grey paintwork. Our potted clematis – which has big, beautiful purple flowers – has been moved into the sun, next to the shed. It’s already shooting up and it will be trained up the side and over the roof. Meaning that come the height of summer, the shed won’t just be a shed – it’ll be a gorgeous pop of colour in the garden.
