DATE:   12/11/02 
WRITER: Al Pertuit, Extension Floriculture Specialist, (864) 656-4968
EDITOR: Susan Bedingfield, (864) 656-3876

Celebrate Christmas by
making evergreen wreaths

                        By Al Pertuit, 
           Clemson Extension Floriculture Specialist

	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 where it is to be 
displayed. For example, do not 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 relate 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 then stand back about 
ten feet and observe it. 
	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.
     Also, check to be sure there is no space between the plant 
material and the surface of the worktable. 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.  
     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. 
             ******************************************
     If you have gardening questions, search our website at
www.clemson.edu/psamedia or write to PSA Media Relations, A-101 Poole
Agricultural Center, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. 29634-0129.
                              END