Natalie Bernhisel Robinson - Living Wreaths: 20 Beautiful Projects for Gift and Decor

Living Wreaths

20 Beautiful Projects for Gifts and Dcor

Natalie Bernhisel Robinson

Photographs by Susan Barnson Hayward

Living Wreaths

20 Beautiful Projects for Gifts and Dcor

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2014 Natalie Bernhisel Robinson

Photographs 2014 Susan Barnson Hayward

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

Gibbs Smith

P.O. Box 667

Layton, Utah 84041

Orders: 1.800.835.4993

www.gibbs-smith.com

ISBN: 978-1-4236-3265-8

For my husband, Matthew, with love and boundless gratitude, and for my two beautiful children, Felix and Oliveyou make life worth living.

Love, Inspire, Create.

Acknowledgments

This Living Wreaths book challenged me to my core and pushed me well outside my comfort zone. I spent many hours in the fetal position, in my closet, wondering if I could accomplish this goal. Pull off elaborate flower arrangements for a weddingno problem, but write a book!? (Gasp!) I had to keep repeating, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, and guess what, I did it! Im so honored to express my gratitude for those who have helped me along the way.

Thank you, Matt, my incredible husband and best friend for holding my hand through this exciting book-writing process. You became well accustomed to having living wreaths take over the house and the yard. There were living wreaths in the sink, wreaths on the floor, wreaths on the counter, wreaths in the driveway and moss everywhere!

Thank you to my darling children who were so patient with me while writing and photographing this book. I loved having you both with me during the long days photographing. As a five-year-old and two-year-old, you became living wreath experts yourselves, helping me pick out beautiful succulents and collecting clumps of moss for wreaths while playing in the backyard.

I called upon family and friends for inspiration and your ideas and words were so helpful. A special thanks to my amazing father and mother, Kurt and Betsy Bernhisel, and to my four beautiful sistersHeather, Ashlie, Allison and Sarahjane. A special thank-you to my dear friends, Erika Sheffield-Stull and Alison Gates.

I was lucky enough to work with the most creative and talented friend and photographer Susan Hayward. You truly captured the stunning and simplistic beauty of my wreaths. Thank you!

A big thank-you to my amazing editor, Hollie Keith, for first coming to me with this project and for always extending my deadlines just a little further. Your insights and hard work are much appreciated.

The wreath is a symbol of life, eternity, welcome and comfort. A ring to hang on your front door that calls, Come inside, old friend. Wreaths are frequently the most impressive of displays, whether draped over a fireplace or hung as a grand welcome on a front door. From the simplest herb wreath to the more extravagant succulent design, their strong outlines and shapes have great visual impact. Whatever the time of year, a wreath adds a cheerful breath of fresh air to surroundings.

Ive always had a love of flowers and floral designing from an early age. I would find myself gathering flowers, grasses, branches and leaves from my mothers backyard. My favorites have always been the fuzzy pussy willows and blooming branches that make a joyful appearance in early spring. The first signs of those glorious blooms and buds make my heart sing and tell me that I can hold on just a little bit longer, warmer weather is on the way. I started taking some of my clippings and decided it would be easy enough to wire them onto a wreath form. It IS easy! This then progressed into a full-fledged wreath-making business, and into my current floral company, La Fleur. Ive never given up the love of finding natural materials in my own backyard or in the beautiful mountains of Utah. I certainly always have garden snips in my car in hopes I see some lovely red dogwood branches, berried juniper or fragrant sagebrush (my new obsession). I call this snipping in the wild harvesting, and Ive been known to do it under the cover of darkness. You bet I know where I can find lily of the valley blooming behind the local bank or where all the ginkgo trees are in the city so I can find some leaves for a bridal bouquet. I know it may be tempting to go clip bundles of blooming forsythia in your neighbors yard at midnight, but I assure you, its easier to just knock on the door and ask.

There is nothing like plunging your nose into the deeply intense fragrance of bay leaf, eucalyptus and evergreens. Sniff deep. The scent of bay leaf takes my mind to the beginning of December and the holiday season when I start decorating the house. Fresh bundles of bay decorate the mantelpiece and tabletops, bringing the outdoors in, to create a botanical wonderland. Hand-wired wreaths of evergreens and pinecones fill each window and door front. Wreath making releases a glorious fresh scent as you work and creates a magnificent decoration. I find great pleasure in adorning my home with such fragrance and beauty, and find it a warm and welcoming way to greet gatherings of family and friends during the coldest winter months.

December also brings about my annual wreath-making classes. It started out with only a few students and quickly grew. I find that most people are delighted in taking natures bounty and making creations that decorate our homes and surroundings, and to possibly gift to friends and family. The appeal of using natural materials is that you are immediately bestowed with an exquisite color scheme that is at one with the surroundings. By working with the seasons, you are continually being presented with new materials that provide an ever-revolving cycle of different textures and forms. Nature is the best designer. The subtlety of natural colors and the variety of forms can never quite be matched by anything we could ever dream up. I love teaching a new skill to willing students. They come to class shy and intimidated, thinking they may not be crafty enough. Students end up leaving with beautiful, fresh, handmade wreaths. Heads are held high with the look of achievement on their faces. They have created something unique and wondrous with their own hands, and Im so proud to be their teacher.

Most crafters and do-it-yourselfers focus on the temporary wreath. After the season, you are left with dried leaves and crispy crumbling boughs. I find myself bowing my head and having a moment of silence with my beautiful creation as I toss it into the garbage bin. Single tear. But dry your eyes, friends, because this book is about the living wreath. It does as the name impliesit lives on! Simply water regularly and watch them grow! With the newfound skills this book will teach, you can make living wreaths for any season. Imagine how fun it will be to have family and friends gather materials and have a creative wreath-making party.