How 2019 is your wreath? Top florists offer tips and tricks for getting it right

Jessica Doyle 06 December 2019 7:00am GMT > JESSICA DOYLE REVEALS TIPS ON HOW TO GET YOUR WREATH RIGHT – AND > WHERE ELSE YOU CAN HANG ONE Chances are, the tree is already up – more of

us than ever ordered them to arrive in November this year rather than waiting, traditionally, until Christmas Eve. But if you want your wreath to be looking fresh for the big day, it’s wise

to hang it slightly later, so many florists are only just beginning to sell them this weekend. And there’s a lot more out there than the conventional pine, from on-trend colours and

textures to unusual shapes. Here’s what the best-dressed doors (and indeed walls) will be wearing this festive season... CONSIDER COLOUR According to Sue Barnes of Lavender Green, who has

done the flowers for everything from royal weddings to Royal Ascot, the natural look is key this year. “It’s becoming more popular to use mixed foliage wreaths as an alternative to the

classic blue pine: you can use glossy camellia, eucalyptus, trails of wild ivy and accents of Christmas pine. It creates more of a pop,” she says. “Layering the foliage in wreaths is

essential to give texture and volume. Add lichen twigs and natural pine cones, or a mass of dried hydrangea. And berry wreaths make a statement against any door.” Her tip is to make sure you

decorate your wreath with a good-quality weatherproof ribbon, and think about the scent, as well as the look, if you want it to make a lasting impression. “Waxflower, with its zesty

perfume, clementine, lime or cinnamon will do this,” says Barnes. Lavender Green’s Gin and Tonic wreath (£125, available online from tomorrow) will fit the fragrance bill, and possibly put

you in the right frame of mind for Christmas drinks parties, with bay leaves, juniper berries, lemons, lavender and pink peppercorn seeds. The door swag is an alternative to the traditional

ring shape and another trend based on a naturalistic look – essentially, an upside-down bouquet of festive foliage and flowers, tied with a ribbon. Waitrose is currently selling one for £40

with spruce, hemlock, pine cones and eucalyptus that will give your door a look of nonchalant chic. In terms of non-traditional, on-trend colours, pastels have dominated fashion and

interiors this year and the saccharine shades are crossing over into wreaths, too. At online florist Bloom & Wild, the Winter Wonder wreath is decorated with silver-painted ruscus sprigs

and poppy-seed heads, little pink limonium flowers and pale green oranges, and finished with pink velvet. But with Pantone having just annouced its colour for 2020 as ‘Classic Blue’,

there’s room for all things sapphire, too - think thistle heads, cobalt ribbon and, of course, those on trend hydrangea heads. KEEP IT NATURAL Eco-friendly decor is a key theme for Christmas

2019, and wreaths are no exception, says Sophie Powell, principal of the flower school at florist McQueens. “People are shying away from adornments that aren’t environmentally friendly and

will date, and then be thrown away but won’t biodegrade,” she says. “At the moment there is a back-to-nature vibe and a focus on foraged items, so our wreaths this year are inspired by

forests - and the flora and fauna found there - coupled with traditional festive elements such as dried fruit.” To get this look at home, Powell suggests trying your local woodland –

checking first with your local authority to see if foraging is permitted. If so: “You can often find naturally fallen goodies such as fir cones and seed pods,” she says. “Take cuttings from

evergreens like holly, cypress and taxus. You could even use cuttings from your Christmas tree – yew, box and fir all work well. Look out for seasonal berries such as red ilex. Dried herbs

can work well and add an unusual touch – pick them from your garden or windowsill pots, dry them out and mix them into a wreath with other twigs and sprigs.” For the time-poor, McQueens

sells ready-made foraged wreaths, and Neptune’s, with dried foliage, also have a gathered-from-the-garden look. HOW TO HANG  Another way to ring the changes with your wreath this year is

where you choose to hang it. If you’ve spent hours making your own, or a considerable amount of money buying one, why not hang it on the inside of your door instead? That way, you get a

little festive pick-me-up every time you leave the house (and you don’t need to worry about it disappearing overnight) – although wreaths hung inside will last for two to three weeks, as

opposed to four or five outdoors. Another option is to buy a basic faux wreath (which you can use again), and update it with fresh foliage and flowers, which can be replaced if they start to

wilt. A wreath hung on the wall – or even suspended from the ceiling above the dining table, should you be feeling dramatic – makes a statement. Take inspiration from tablesetting expert

Serena Fresson, who has no less than nine wreaths currently hanging in her dining room. Sue Jones, creative director and founder of homeware brand OKA, has another idea for adding wow

factor: “If you’ve got dinner parties coming up and want to do something a little different in the dining room, wreaths are an excellent place to start. Arrange them on the backs of chairs

or on the middle of the table to add a festive touch that no one will be expecting.” HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN WREATH BY SOPHIE POWELL OF MCQUEENS  * Start with a metal frame (it can be

repurposed again for Easter, or a table centrepiece at any time of year). Cover in a moss – either carpet moss or sphagnum works best. Add clumps around the frame and secure each clump well

with floristry wire (don’t worry about it showing, it will ultimately be covered by foliage). * Spray the moss with water before adding anything. - Next, work around the wreath

anti-clockwise, in sections, making sure that the stems of each “section” are masked by the foliage and decorations of the next. * To assemble a “section”, take a handful of cuttings and

sprigs, place them on the moss and secure at the stems with wire. You can pre-wire fir cones, cinnamon sticks and so on, and secure them to the twigs, too.  * Secure the stems to the wreath

by wrapping wire around them two or three times and pull tightly; don’t cut the end until you have finished your wreath, so that one continuous piece winds all sections together. * Repeat

until you have worked your way around the entire wreath. You don’t need to keep each section identical – you can alternate with different foliage or decorations – but try to keep it

consistent. * Once complete, cut and secure the ends of your floristry wire. Spray the moss on the wreath regularly to help it last – spray it more frequently if it’s hanging indoors.

_McQueens Flower School is running wreath and table-decorating workshops on December 9 and 18; mcqueens.co.uk/school_