Foliage Ideas For Christmas Wreaths

[VirginVegGrower]

All, I am thinking of making some experimental wreaths with foliage for the village shop fundraiser and I have access to yew, pine, ivy, holly...thinking hypericum berries, rosehips, dried orange slices. Is there anything else I haven't thought of, but could use? No access to juniper, although I did think of that.
Thanks in advance!

[veggiechicken]

Larch cones are good if you can find them on the branches.

[VirginVegGrower]

Darned of course, cones...we have massive pines with round cones next door and in the wood but I'm ashamed to say I don't know where I can find larch cones. They are the dinky ones, is that right?

[veggiechicken]

Yep, the dinky ones - like this

[VirginVegGrower]

A walk over the fields, woodland and by the brook may reveal some. Thanks VC. Can you think of anything else available at this time of year and into December?

[Jeanied]

We used to make wreaths out of long vine prunings - shaped and wrapped around a bucket to get a good circle and twisted round themselves. A bit like the wicker ones but less formal with some interesting tendrils. They can be decorated quite simply with a small spray, so the stems can be seen around most of the wreath.

[veggiechicken]

Any evergreen shrubs in your garden? Like camellia, eleagnus, pittosporum (?sp), viburnum, pieris, skimmia... You may find hawthorn berries, cotoneaster.

[VirginVegGrower]

I have copious amounts of bay, rosemary sprigs, but don't want to chop up my viburnums, or strip too many berried plants for the birds. I was thinking about my fennel seed heads. I chopped my poppies back otherwise I could have used the seed heads
I have no access to vine tendrils either as mine are babies.

[veggiechicken]

Can you find Old Man's Beard or clematis to use as tendrils?

[binley100]

I know you would have to buy them, but bunches of cinnamon sticks ,apple rings , something you can stick cloves in?

[binley100]

I used to go out and nick bits off next doors bl'ddy leylandii for a base then add thigs to it......

[Jeanied]

How about dried chillies? Just a thought...

[VirginVegGrower]

Dried chillis good but this is the year I haven't grown them...duh. Apples I could cut and dry although I was hoping to use herbs, foliage, berries, seed heads rather than buy. I want to raise funds for the village.

[Scarlet]

You can make lovely natural wreaths with plenty of foliage and just a few berries and cones for decoration and you shouldn't need to spend a penny. I do pick up cheap oranges and dry them now ready, holly berries are fabulous as are cones although do watch out for the ones that will just fall apart when wiring (larch ones do fall apart - sorry VC!) Hypericum berries are usually gone by Christmas. Scraps of ribbon are also good.
Obviously fir but also Yew/taxus, euonymus, elaeagnus, laurel (variegated if you can get it - also some come with berries) pittosporum (although a few of mine died from cutting it during Dec!) and ivy with berries even leyland are all fabulous greenery for covering the main wreath and quick and easy to tie on, you can just add a few decorations - cones and oranges tied in a small bunch to add colour and interest after. Keep it simple. I have some pics at home - will post later.

[veggiechicken]

No worries about the larch cones, Scarlet I don't do clever things with wire - just bung them in a vase and pretend its festive