Wreath-making

    I was astonished to see (a) a wreath similar to the above priced at £70 at a smart online florist, and (b) a newspaper report of a 'make your own wreath' workshop - I thought it was a simple enough business to do it yourself without any tuition as such.  Mine cost a few pounds (for the base), but then I'm fortunate that my garden supplies all the rest.

    Gathered here are sprigs of pine and a few cones, choisya, camellia, cotoneaster, hebe, ivy, escallonia, rosemary and dogwood, and I also often use lavender, bay, rosebuds and cinnamon sticks.

    Soak the oasis for several hours or overnight, tie on a ribbon for hanging purposes, then begin to add the foliage, dividing the circle roughly in three (see the large pieces of choisya at the bottom and right and left of the picture above) if you find that helps with symmetry and gives you the look you want. I use florist's wire to fix on the pinecones and cinnamon sticks, but otherwise just strip the stems and stalks a little and push in single leaves - such as ivy - or larger pieces of foliage.

    The rich red dogwood branches are flexible so are very handy for encircling the sides of the oasis and for using in short lengths as 'staples', bent double and pushed in to secure other things.

    Putting this together is one of favourite Christmas activities, from the cutting of the greenery (in the pouring rain this morning) to the gradual assembly. The finished piece is fresh, fragrant and lasts well, and the making of it is a calm interlude in the otherwise hectic preparations.