FORAGING FOR DECORATION
Did you know that we forage for a lot of what goes into our wreaths and decorations? The only difference between a weed and wreath elements is perspective. Grasses have to be our favorite thing to use. they are a great way to add fluffy texture and come in all different shades of green, brown, and sometimes red. Pick them at different stages of life to get various colors and textures, or leave them out to get bleached in the sun for that monotone effect. When creating a pieces, save those blades of grass! They help add a new dimension to whatever you are working on.
Our grapevines themselves are locally sourced here in Salisbury. Know someone who grows grapes? Ask them if you can take their spring time trimmings when they groom their vines. This is a sustainable practice, and the best part, is usually free!
Dried herbs, like oregano, are a great material to add to your wreaths and they can usually be found right in your garden! We always let some of our oregano go to flower for the bees and butterflies, but when it does, it loses its flavor and medicinal benefit. But, we don’t waste it! Oregano dries nicely and keeps the green of the leaves and purple of the flowers/seedpods. It adds a nice texture that you can use to mix in with your other forage fines.
Lastly, Pinecones may seem like an obvious one, but we love to forage for these natural beauties. Yes, you can buy them in the grocery store, but the ones that you find outside can be all different shapes and sizes. We even like to harvest the female Alder flowers and mix those in as well since they look just like tiny pinecones!
