Home Landscape Design Garlands of greenery
Discover how to create natural decorations that capture the beauty of the season, from a glossy - leaved wreath with jewel - bright berries to a festoon of fresh evergreen foliage.
Deck the halks
Create a welcoming festive mood in a hallway by draping a staircase with a garland of evergreen foliage interspersed with jewel - bright berries. Hang a large ball of dried or fresh hydrangea heads above to complete the picture. Step 1 Measure the length of the garland you would like to make using a piece of string or ribbon, bearing in mind how you plan to drape it. Cut the siring or ribbon to the correct length, allowing an extra 20cm at each end for hanging. Step 2 Attach a reel of wire 20cm from the end, binding it tightly to secure it. Take a small handful of foliage - perhaps a mixture of pine, ivy, berries or pink peppercorns - and place all the stems together to make a little bunch. Holding the stems against the ribbon or strirg, wrap the wire several times arcund to secure. Step 3 Take a second bunch of foliage and position it next to the first bunch, to cover the wires, placing it at a slightly different angle to the first bunch. Without cutting the wire, bind the stems ir place to secure them. Continue with overlapping bunches of foliage until you reach the end of the ribbon or string. Place the final bunch in the opposite directior to the o:hers so that all of the work ngs are hidden among the foliage. Cut the reel wire and twist and fix the end securely back onto the ribbon and foliage. Once all the foliage is secure, hang the garland by tying in place with the ribbon, and add in any decorative extras.

Garlands of greenery

For a dramatic display of Christmas reds and greens, add extra impact to a berried wreath by surrounding with richly coloured roses in antique glassware and a loose arrangement of cotoneaster, eucalyptus and holly. Mass the latter inside a stone urn filled with florists oasis - top up regularly with water to keep it fresh.
How to make a wreath
Step 1 Choose your wire frame - a good florist should have a selec:ion - but bear m mind that the finished wreath will be considerably larger. The wire wreath shown below measures 25cm but will be 45cm in diameter when decorated Step 2 Fill the frame with generous nandfulsof sack moss, making sure it is fresh and damp, and packing it tightly so that it feels solid and dense. Twist a length of reel w re around the outside of the moss several times and pull aga nst the fame to secure. Turn the wreath over and cut the wire, leaving a short length, and then twist he end back into the original wire frame. Step 3 Cut 15cm lengths of your chosen foliage - pine, ivy or jasmine, perhaps. Fix a nandful of greenery into the moss, winding reel wire around to secure. Continue adding foliage until all of the moss is covered. Push he final handfuls in deep so that it isnt noticeab e where the wreath starts and finishes. To keep it looking fresh, immerse the base in water and leave to drain before hanging, or keep spraying with water.
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