Christmas Wreath 2012

Here is this year's Christmas wreath made from holly and ivy from the garden, moss from the hedgerows and a few bits and pieces from the local garden centre!

At least I didn't have to make the wire frame having made one from coat hangers last year which I squirreled away until needed again for the festive season!

Happy Christmas Everyone!!

Making up the Christmas Wreath!

I've never made one of these before but inspired by a recent episode of 'Gardeners World' on the box and a stallholder selling similar at Stratford market, I decide it's time to have a go!. The challenge as ever in the Fothergill household is to see if it's possible to make one up entirely from foraged and recycled items found in and around the garden.

Well, not bad so far...a couple of coathangers and some wire salvaged from the old fencing are a good start!

So now all I need is some ivy (plenty of that around), some holly with berries (in the front garden), moss (foraged from the roadside), some fir cones (erm...well I did have to buy those from the stallholder), some gardening wire (ok ...had to buy that too!) and a bit of ribbon (plenty of that in our resource box)...oh and some chillie peppers (from an old flower arrangement).

All looks a bit of a mess so far but hey ho...this has to be better than Sunday afternoon ironing! First thing is to wind some ivy around the frame and then add in the moss to create a base. A bit fiddly and realise that without some sort of binding the whole lot starts to fall off! So.......off to the local farm shop to buy some garden wire to wind around the structure and pull it all together! Add in the fir cones and it's starting to look promising....interesting bug life emerging too - ladybirds and devils coachmen..will have to put them outside in a mo...

So now - to pretty it all up with some variegated holly with berries, a few bundles of chillie peppers and some ivy berries and flowers to add a bit of colour. Add in a green bow for the final touch and Voila...we have our very own Christmas Bouquet! All from mostly home grown or foraged finds and now hanging prettily in our little porch! Thank you Gardeners World!

Once Upon A Time...There Was a Tree!

We are fortunate indeed to have a property that borders onto fields..and beautiful views - morning sunrise and evening sunsets are a daily joy to behold and our neighbouring field is also host to a herd of gorgeous Jersey Cows, intermittent docile residents who gaze at you with their big brown eyes as you walk amongst them.
We also have a number of Ash trees on our boundary that tower above the garden. Not only are they engulfed but literally imprisoned and enslaved by ivy. The ownership of these trees is ambiguous and further investigation tell us that it could be a long journey to define responsibility for maintenance. We've had expert advice but to all intents and purposes any works to the trees is going to be an expensive choice...and probably beyond our budget at this time.

So...what to do. I love trees and am loathe to cut something down just because it gets in the way....there has to be an alternative!

Walking in our local woods, I note that many of the beech trees that have suffered the invasion of ivy have been rescued simply by removing a layer of ivy roots from the base of the tree. Could this work with our resident Ash?? Worth a try methinks.

So here it is...somewhere beyond all that ivy is a tree!!!  "Can you tell what it is yet?"

Mr F was a bit worried when I appeared in the living room wielding an axe! Needless to say..no murderous intentions, he he ... just needed him to help me sharpen the blade.

Several hours later after much hacking, chopping, sawing, swearing and hard labour, a tree emerges and the garden receives more light.

So far the ivy defies all atempts at obliteration, but it's early days and with any luck we will win the battle of the Ivy over the coming winter months and by the Spring, start to remove more dead ivy wood from the branches, slowly bringing back to life our poor neglected and rather lovely Ash Tree.