DIY: Christmas wreath

Make your own Christmas wreath from plants you’re growing in the garden and you can create a truly personal decoration to hang on the door to welcome your guests for the festive season.

Pack your garden with seasonal plants to provide you with material: most make beautiful additions to the winter garden, as they tend to be evergreen, often have berries and are sometimes fragrant, too.

Glossy green holly studded with scarlet berries is top of the list, followed closely by ivy with variegated foliage - ideal as a low-maintenance ground cover. Fragrant pine, cedar or junipers make lovely garden trees too – many are compact enough to grow in containers. If you’re running short, just pop into the garden centre here in Pickering and buy them ready to plant straight into your garden and keep you supplied for many Christmases to come.

Start by making the frame: you can weave your own from whippy willow shoots, or buy a ready-made wire ring from our selection here at the garden centre. Create a lush, leafy background by tying on sprigs of conifer or ivy using florists’ wire or natural twine. Overlap them as you go to avoid gaps, and keep adding stems until the base is fully covered.

Now add your decorations! Natural choices you can use from your garden include bright scarlet holly berries, poinsettia flowers or rosehips: or for something really different, try dried red chilli peppers, orange slices or the beautifully sculptural seed cases of Chinese lanterns (Physalis alkekengi).

Finish off with some red ribbon, and perhaps a few sparkly baubles or festive ornaments tied on with wire. Just let your imagination run riot – you’ll find loads of inspiration right here at the garden centre, so pop in and enjoy selecting all the ingredients you need to turn your front door into a Christmas celebration.