When I'm putting the garden to bed I keep my eye out for plants with decoration potential. For a framework, cut back vines can be twisted together to form a hoop or nest that can be hung up as a wreath or placed in the garden bed. Young flexible suckering shoots are easy to bend into woven baskets or tie other material together. Last years wreath frame or an old hose or bike wheel can even form the backbone of a decoration. After a sturdy frame is built add some evergreen boughs from an Eastern red ceder, pine, holly, or other evergreen that needs to be trimmed. Weave in some dried grass with curly tips or fluffy seeds for texture. Pine cones, berries, seed heads, sturdy dried leaves, feathers, nuts, and interesting sticks can be attached with string. Arrange the decoration to match the garden style with repetition, symmetry, and always some wildness. Be careful using seeds in the decoration that might germinate in an unwanted place. One year I ended up with a small forest of rattlesnake master at my doorstep. A natural wreath on the front door reminds us of the garden even when the weather makes outdoor experiences unpleasant. These small pieces of art beatify the garden and provide small areas of habitat for insects and nesting material for birds. A 100% natural wreath can be composted when it has reached the end of it's attractive period but not the end of it's life. Be creative, work with nature, build waste free, enjoy.
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