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Winter Wreaths On Good Gardening

 
Hi, I'm Master Gardener John Fischer with KLCC's Good Gardening.  People have been bring conifer greens into their homes in winter to remind them that spring will come again for thousands of years.

There is no way of knowing for sure, but some scientists think the tradition may have started like this.

  "Man have branches stuck in beard.  Now cave messy." (Cavewoman)
  "Man bring decorations"  (Caveman)
  "Try there- no there- wait try by tiger drawing there." (Cavewoman)
  Building a wreath now is often done with a metal framework to make the job easier, and more consistent, but using vines as the base gives the wreath a more natural look, and makes disposal easier after the holidays.
  I start with a circle of grapevines about 16 inches in diameter.  You can use ivy,clematis- even blackberries- ouch!
 Keep adding in a new piece of vine until you have gone over the original circle a few times.  Four or five intertwined layers will give you plenty of places to stick your greens and other decorations.
  Now head off into your backyard or neighborhood to gather evergreen branches, rose hips, colorful leaves, conifer cones etc.  Hide the cut end of one branch with the foliage of another. The incense cedars are tipped with yellow pollen right now, the redwood cones are beautiful eye catching miniatures, and if you're lucky there are holly berries in your yard.  Searching carefully will reveal special natural treasures you never noticed before.
  The wreath can be hung on a picture hook, from a piece of string, or as was common in the early days, from a mastodon tusk pounded into a crack in the cave wall.
  When the all natural wreath has run it's course, it goes onto the compost pile, or into the fireplace.  Ungh- Fire
 
I'm John Fischer with KLCC's Good Gardening.