My Circle of Green

Day 252
The Daily DuBrule

Yesterday was a stunningly beautiful day, warm, sunny, and mild, a perfect day to work outdoors. I tackled my annual wreathmaking project, twisting up a giant wreath for the front of my house. I started by taking the stepladder, my loppers, pruners, and a wheelbarrow for a tour of my yard. I harvested white pine, American holly, juniper, Norway spruce, hemlock, curly willow, and lacebark pine. This involved climbing to the top step of the ladder, extending the loppers to their longest reach, and lopping off giant branches, ducking as they fell to the ground. Because my wreath was going to be big I was going for the longer branches higher up on the trees. 

Harvest complete, I spread everything out in my courtyard around the center circle of my labyrinth. The sun was shining, the water garden was bubbling away, the birds were singing, my heart was happy. I grabbed my trusty roll of green florist wire, my 20" wreath ring (which I re-use year after year), and set to work.

After wiring big hunks of greens to the circle for one go around, I stuck long, thin branches of hemlock and three dimensional sprays of curly willow into my creation. Back around the wreath I went again, wiring this second batch of wilder stems into my wreath. Then I leaned it up against the steps of my deck and added a very strong wire hanger. I fluffed up last year's bow, tied it on, and strung tiny white lights around the wreath twice, wiring them into place. Voila. Complete. I was so excited to march this masterpiece to the front of the house, hang it up, and plug it in.

When I was done, I still had tons of greens left. I made a huge swag, complete with my peace sign. I studded three large pots. What a wonderful, peaceful, creative afternoon. My reward? Pizza and wine for dinner, out on the town with my husband, followed by chocolate covered macaroons. Sweet.