Wreaths

Way back when I was in high school, I took a class in ornamental horticulture. It was a great class. We did all kinds of things like grow giant cabbages and celery, study citrus diseases, and memorize the latin names of everything green. I remember no latin, have never grown celery again, and I avoid disease ridden citrus!! But there were 2 things about that class that have stayed with me my whole life.

First was a pumpkin field that another student and I planned, managed and made a little money from. I think that adventure was probably what started my absolute love of pumpkins, (and my dread of driving anything blue, with multiple gear shifts, and 2 different sized tires. But that is a story for another day!!)

Second was wreath making. A young student teacher showed up one day, out of the blue, with lesson plans and a permit. She loaded us all up into pick-up trucks and drove us up into the national forest where we proceeded to cut boughs and boughs of beautiful pine and fir. We hauled it all back to the greenhouse at school and the next day she taught us to make wreaths!

It has been a beloved part of my Christmas Season ever since. Except, I use bay now, since it grows prolifically around here.

The process goes something like this:

And they smell as good as they look!

I should have made you a tutorial, but I forgot to take pictures of each step!!