Wreaths harken back to a time when people needed comfort that the wheel of the year would turn on; that spring and life would return.
I love traditional Christmas materials and objects however I like to add a little of the unexpected. The wreath I chose to make has a frame of Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) braided than twined together. I wanted to give a more accurate picture of winter - the vibrant desolate naked branches with the lush fullness of classic evergreen boughs. With the modern touch of Nandina (Nandina domestica)and yellow holly berries(Ilex).
Materials:
Pruners
Wire Cutters
Green Paddle Wire
Holly
Nandina
Golden Tipped Cedar
Cedar
Bow
Wreath Base (made or purchased)
1)Lay the wreath out and pick a top and bottom. For my wreath where the ends overlapped was a natural bottom.
2)Chose cedar branches in proportion to your wreath (enough to go up about one-quarter of each side). Wire and attach the branches to each other then affix the branches firmly to the wreath base. Give yourself long tails; pull the tails tight around the bundle and cross the wires firmly, than twist several times to get a good hold.
3)Add cedar to the top in the same way but with smaller pieces. Take an additional piece of wire and on the back of the wreath add a loop to hang the wreath from attaching it firmly to the wreath base.
4)As cedar tends to droop use a small wire to affix the branches again higher up the stem to the wreath base. This ensures that they will form the wreath base, not flop with gravity when hanging.
5)Chose nandina and repeat, attaching the leaflets to each other, then the base over the cedar at the bottom and again at the top of the wreath.
6)Chose a piece of holly with lots of berries, strip the leaves and wire the stem to the wreath directly over the exposed wires at the top to cover them.
7)Add the bow to the lower section using it to cover any exposed wires. Fluff the bow.
Wreath Tips:
~ It is usually better to use several smaller pieces then a few larger pieces to give a full fluffy look.
~ After wiring every piece be sure to tuck loose ends into the wreath as wire ends can scratch doors or walls.
~ Always start with basic materials at the bottom (closest to the wreath base) becoming more elaborate as you come away from the wreath. Think of it like layer a sandwich – start with basic greens to give a general feel adding color and texture with each additional layer.
~ Each layer should be a bit shorter than the previous layer so all the textures and layers will show in the finished product. Make sure that the layers of greens are large enough that they bow won’t cover or obscure them.
~ Wreaths prefer the cool outdoors to the warm indoors. Misting occasionally also helps to keep them fresh. Try to avoid hot dry areas (e.g. air vents or fireplaces).
~ Make it your own. If you love ivy, add ivy, if your really into Proteas add some - the options are limitless! Wreaths are an expression of you.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Flower Record
Several years ago I purchased an Amaryllis bulb and forced it indoors. It bloomed beautifully, and was a great inspiration to me. The following year when Amaryllis time came again I couldn’t remember who I’d gotten the bulb from nor when I started forcing it. It was then that I decided to keep a garden journal.
There are many tools in gardening, shovels, hoes, rakes; think of your garden journal as another great gardening tool. Gardening is about 80% experience and 20% luck; if you record your experiences from year-to-year you can hedge your bets. Recording your successes and failures and recognizing what happened will make you a better gardener.
My garden journal is a composition notebook. Use whatever makes sense to you, a sketchbook or scrapbook etc. Then just record the things that are important to you. You can put whatever emphasis on it. If you’re interesting in wildlife you can record the weather and animal sightings. If you’re interested in budgeting you can record your costs and what the garden produced. If you’re interested in art then you can paint or draw whatever plants strike your fancy. The possibilities are limitless.
I personally like to strike a balance between artistic and functional. I enjoy drawing and making watercolors. The more scientific side of me likes to take notes on weather, and wildlife. I find that a limited time for writing keeps me on track. I usually write before work or after I’ve come in from the garden, while things are fresh in my mind. However, I have also been known to spend hours on it during lazy Saturday mornings. Dedicate as much time as you deem necessary, and remember that the more information you provide yourself the more knowledge you’ll gain about what works for your garden.
With gardening it helps to note the details, like where you planted those tulips bulbs or when you fertilized your tomatoes. What makes a garden journal a tool is noting the details and then reading through your journal every now and again. Those details can come together and perhaps help you realize trends in your garden. For example, let’s say you try a new variety of cucumber and it yields more than other varieties you’ve tried in the past. This is when your journal becomes a tool - noting that difference and recognizing it will make your garden more productive the following year as you choose varieties that are better suited to your unique site. If nothing else your garden journal is a book dedicated to your garden, your own personal guide tailored to your exact location. On a more practical note, it immensely helpful to have all the information about your garden in one place, so when you’re planning crop rotation or picking a variety of pepper you don’t have to turn the house upside-down to find your notes from last year, they’re all in one place.
On cold winter days when the rain is beating the house, there are few better feelings then opening up your garden journal and reading a section from June, recalling the warmth and bounty of the season.
Tips for Garden Journaling:
1) Note when you started seeds and when you transplanted them into the ground.
2) Note the varieties of plants that work best in your garden.
3) Note what works and what doesn’t so you can stream-line processes in the future.
4) Taking notes on the weather conditions can be immensely helpful for finding trends. Plants have specific responses to temperature, moisture, and sunlight – the better you understand those responses the better garden you will become.
5) Personalize it – a garden journal is an expression of you and your garden. Take pictures of your champion pumpkin, or stunning flower bed. Take pride in your garden and the work you put into it.
6) If something dies record the cause, so that in the future you can avoid that problem.
7) Keep invoices from seed orders and other itemized receipts in your garden journal. This is a record not only of the money spent it is also a record of the varieties used in the past, even if you didn’t have time to note them. Instead of keeping hundreds of seed packets keep one seed invoice.
There are many tools in gardening, shovels, hoes, rakes; think of your garden journal as another great gardening tool. Gardening is about 80% experience and 20% luck; if you record your experiences from year-to-year you can hedge your bets. Recording your successes and failures and recognizing what happened will make you a better gardener.
My garden journal is a composition notebook. Use whatever makes sense to you, a sketchbook or scrapbook etc. Then just record the things that are important to you. You can put whatever emphasis on it. If you’re interesting in wildlife you can record the weather and animal sightings. If you’re interested in budgeting you can record your costs and what the garden produced. If you’re interested in art then you can paint or draw whatever plants strike your fancy. The possibilities are limitless.
I personally like to strike a balance between artistic and functional. I enjoy drawing and making watercolors. The more scientific side of me likes to take notes on weather, and wildlife. I find that a limited time for writing keeps me on track. I usually write before work or after I’ve come in from the garden, while things are fresh in my mind. However, I have also been known to spend hours on it during lazy Saturday mornings. Dedicate as much time as you deem necessary, and remember that the more information you provide yourself the more knowledge you’ll gain about what works for your garden.
With gardening it helps to note the details, like where you planted those tulips bulbs or when you fertilized your tomatoes. What makes a garden journal a tool is noting the details and then reading through your journal every now and again. Those details can come together and perhaps help you realize trends in your garden. For example, let’s say you try a new variety of cucumber and it yields more than other varieties you’ve tried in the past. This is when your journal becomes a tool - noting that difference and recognizing it will make your garden more productive the following year as you choose varieties that are better suited to your unique site. If nothing else your garden journal is a book dedicated to your garden, your own personal guide tailored to your exact location. On a more practical note, it immensely helpful to have all the information about your garden in one place, so when you’re planning crop rotation or picking a variety of pepper you don’t have to turn the house upside-down to find your notes from last year, they’re all in one place.
On cold winter days when the rain is beating the house, there are few better feelings then opening up your garden journal and reading a section from June, recalling the warmth and bounty of the season.
Tips for Garden Journaling:
1) Note when you started seeds and when you transplanted them into the ground.
2) Note the varieties of plants that work best in your garden.
3) Note what works and what doesn’t so you can stream-line processes in the future.
4) Taking notes on the weather conditions can be immensely helpful for finding trends. Plants have specific responses to temperature, moisture, and sunlight – the better you understand those responses the better garden you will become.
5) Personalize it – a garden journal is an expression of you and your garden. Take pictures of your champion pumpkin, or stunning flower bed. Take pride in your garden and the work you put into it.
6) If something dies record the cause, so that in the future you can avoid that problem.
7) Keep invoices from seed orders and other itemized receipts in your garden journal. This is a record not only of the money spent it is also a record of the varieties used in the past, even if you didn’t have time to note them. Instead of keeping hundreds of seed packets keep one seed invoice.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Seedy Business
This time of year there is a flurry of activity in every gardener’s mailbox – seed season is upon us. Every good garden begins with good seeds. Seeds can be purchased virtually anywhere in our day and age. Mail order catalogs (and their respective websites) are far superior to the vast majority of seeds available in stores. Most catalogs offer a much larger and more unique variety, putting more control in to your hands and thus allowing a higher potential for success. Choosing seeds can be a bit overwhelming. However, the following tips should help to focus your efforts:
1) Space & Spacing –Get an idea of the rough square footage and layout of the garden. Draw a sketch of the garden and decide how much space is going to be dedicated to various types of crops (tomtatoes, corn etc.).
Once the space is laid-out for each crop do a little research into the space required per plant of that crop (e.g. 24 inches between individual corn plants) - knowing how to space crops will ensure that appropriate amount of seed is purchased.
1)History – It is a good idea to keep a garden journal to record broad seasonal trends. If there are any records from the past look back at them and see what varieties were used and what were the successes and failures. This can save a lot of time and money if a specific crop or variety consistently does or does not perform in the garden.
2)Know Thy Self – For many years I grew peppers. They grew beautifully and I would harvest them and never use them. It was only after several years and I decided that I didn’t actually like peppers and stopped growing them. Grow only things that you KNOW you will use. If you only use three peppers a year it is cheaper to buy them from the grocery store.
3)Seeds v. Transplants – If you have a large garden or a crop that can be sown multiple times (greens or onions for example) it is more economical to buy seeds. If you have a small garden or only require several individual plants (for example tomatoes, peppers), transplants may be a better option. Dividing up which plants will be purchased as seed and which will be purchased as transplants will help keep costs down and streamline the gardening process.
4)Have Fun! – This might sound trite however a garden should be fun. A personal rule I have is to try something new every year – a new vegetable, a new flower, a new variety. Something new and fresh to keep me interested and engaged; it has lead to some great discoveries.
1) Space & Spacing –Get an idea of the rough square footage and layout of the garden. Draw a sketch of the garden and decide how much space is going to be dedicated to various types of crops (tomtatoes, corn etc.).
Once the space is laid-out for each crop do a little research into the space required per plant of that crop (e.g. 24 inches between individual corn plants) - knowing how to space crops will ensure that appropriate amount of seed is purchased.
1)History – It is a good idea to keep a garden journal to record broad seasonal trends. If there are any records from the past look back at them and see what varieties were used and what were the successes and failures. This can save a lot of time and money if a specific crop or variety consistently does or does not perform in the garden.
2)Know Thy Self – For many years I grew peppers. They grew beautifully and I would harvest them and never use them. It was only after several years and I decided that I didn’t actually like peppers and stopped growing them. Grow only things that you KNOW you will use. If you only use three peppers a year it is cheaper to buy them from the grocery store.
3)Seeds v. Transplants – If you have a large garden or a crop that can be sown multiple times (greens or onions for example) it is more economical to buy seeds. If you have a small garden or only require several individual plants (for example tomatoes, peppers), transplants may be a better option. Dividing up which plants will be purchased as seed and which will be purchased as transplants will help keep costs down and streamline the gardening process.
4)Have Fun! – This might sound trite however a garden should be fun. A personal rule I have is to try something new every year – a new vegetable, a new flower, a new variety. Something new and fresh to keep me interested and engaged; it has lead to some great discoveries.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)