DATE:   12/3/98     
WRITER: Dr. Al Pertuit, Extension Floriculture Specialist,
        (864) 656-4968
EDITOR: Giles Singleton, (864) 656-3876

Making Evergreen Wreaths

     Q.  What readily available yard plants are best for making
evergreen wreaths, and what's an easy way to make them?
     A.  Homemade wreaths are increasingly popular. Interest in
them peaks in the fall from Thanksgiving through Christmas. More
than any other material, evergreens truly represent the
Advent/Christmas season. 
     Fresh, evergreen foliage makes exquisite wreaths. These
wreaths are more popular now because they last for weeks in cold
weather if they do not have a southern exposure. Foliage species
vary in their ability to remain fresh after they are cut.
     Cryptomerias (Cryptomeria spp.), cedars (Cedrus spp,), red
cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and, along the coast, southern red
cedar (J. silicicola) may be used. Hollies (Ilex spp.), hemlock
(Tsuga caroliniana), arbor-vitae (Thuja spp.), spruce (Picea
spp.), and Virginia pine (P. virginiana) also are readily
available.
     Choose foliage that goes well with the door upon which it's
displayed. For example, don't use dark green foliage on a dark
green door. 
     Whatever materials are used, the size of the wreath should 
be right for the door. The wreath's maximum width should be
slightly less than one-half of the door's width. The wreath's
center should be a fourth of the way down from the top of the
door.
     Also, the texture of plant materials selected should related
to the diameter of the wreath. Small wreaths demand more finely
textured materials. Coarse or fine materials, or both, may be
used on large wreaths. 
     The first step is to choose a frame. Straw wreath frames
from ten to 28 inches in diameter are available commercially.
These frames allow easy attachment of foliages with four-inch
wired wood picks, which are also readily available. It is easier
to insert the picks if you remove the plastic wrapping from a
straw frame.
     Next, attach a loop of 21-gauge wire at the top of the
wreath on the back for hanging. Coat hanger wire works well too.  
     Then, bunch together pieces of evergreen foliage cut four to
six inches long, and wire them onto a pick. Stick the pick into
the straw frame at about a 30 degree angle. Be sure the foliage
flows in the same direction around the wreath.  
     To insure an even distribution of foliage during
construction, one should periodically hang the wreath up and
stand back about ten feet and observe it. Also place the wreath 
on the floor and view it periodically by standing on a chair and
looking down at it. It is amazing what one can see at a distance
that is not apparent at close range.
     Check to be sure there is no space between the plant
material and the surface of the work table. Often, the plant
material in the center is not filled in all the way to the table
surface. When this is filled in, the wreath will have more depth
and be more appealing to the eye. It is amazing how little one's
eyes unintentionally observe. 
     In addition to plant materials, some decorate a wreath by
adding a bow and other decorative ornaments. These additions
should be kept in scale with the size of the wreath. 
     If you remember to step back and observe how it looks from
time to time, you will have a more pleasing end product.       
     For more information on making wreaths, see "Wreath Making"
at:  http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/agcomm/pubs/Pages/Hort/EC696.pdf .
               *********************************
     If you have gardening questions or comments, write to PSA
News & Publications, A-101 Poole Agricultural Center, Box 340311,
Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. 29634-0311. You might also want
to check out other "Buds and Blooms" columns under News Releases
at: http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/agcomm/ .
                          END