Bloomsbury Farm Winter Wreath

It’s Friday afternoon, and time for our family to head over the hill to Bloomsbury Farm. Fresh organic produce, stunning landscape, and a rotating selection of local beverage and food vendors make this place one of our favorite destinations just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. We arrive and are immediately greeted by my delightful friend and owner, Lauren. We chat about her farm and upcoming events, and then head into the farm shop to load our basket with goodies: winter squash, spinach, radish, beets, kale, collard greens, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, jars of salsa, a shot of wheatgrass, and homemade bread. A beautiful bounty of fresh goods. Next we check out the seasonal table of handmade goodies, and on this particular visit, we grab a simple wreath made from dried flowers.

The design of this wreath is very organic and lovely. I asked Lauren if we could try our hand at making a few ourselves. It’s the perfect nature craft for winter and the materials are simple. Let’s have a go!

To make your wreath:

1. Gather your materials: wire ring (we used a ring that was 11 inches in diameter, but any size would work), jute twine, and a collection of dried flowers.

2. Wrap the jute twine around the wire ring, ensuring that none of the metal is visible.

3. Across the diameter of the wrapped ring, wrap the twine across the center, creating strands of jute. (We wrapped ours back and forth 12 times.)

4. Place the individual stems of dried nature through the center band, weaving the nature in and out of the twine so it is snug and secure.

5. Add a little loop of twine at the top to hang the wreath.

The Bloomsbury Farm winter wreath is a creative way to spend an afternoon on a lovely, winter day. Gather your materials and a few friends to make them this season, and gift them to neighbors to spread some seasonal cheer. Happy winter! xo

Dried Floral Baubles

On a December afternoon before Christmas, our grandmotherly neighbor, Miss Norma, invited us into her home to make nature-inspired, dried floral bauble ornaments. It is always a treat to spend time with someone who is curious, continually learning something new, and eager to share in their creativity! We enjoyed sipping hot cocoa, listening to Christmas music, and adding bits of nature to simple holiday designs. We brought them home, hung a few on our tree, and used several as Christmas gift decorations. It is the most fun when a packaged gift is equally thrilling on the outside as on the inside!

Try making your own beautiful, dried floral baubles this Christmas season. The key to making these small ornaments is to use the tiniest dried plant materials: flax seed heads, mountain daisies, rosehips, and berries—to name a few. You can also add some shiny coordinating beads to create a pleasing, contrasting color scheme.

A few tips for crafting your dried floral baubles:

1. Create festive shapes. Buy ready-made plywood shapes at your local crafting store or be bold and make your own.

2. Apply the glue to the wood ornament and use tweezers to add your dried nature and beads.

3. Be creative. Use whatever bits of nature inspire you and have fun creating your festive, one-of-a-kind ornaments. 

Invite your own family, friends, or grandmotherly neighbor over to spend a cozy December afternoon crafting these simple dried floral baubles. And don’t forget the music and treats! Happy Christmas! xo

Plant Your Perennials in the Fall!

We were living in Minnesota and it was late, late fall. My mother had recently offered a few of her flower plants as she was reconfiguring her garden. We trekked over and divided up several of her flowers and placed them in buckets for their short journey across town. We spent the next afternoon transplanting them around our property and watering thoroughly. A couple weeks passed and an early snowfall arrived. I was leery of their survival, having planted so late in the season, but my mother is a fearless gardener and assured us we got them in just in time. And sure enough, after spending the winter blanketed in cold and snow, little green shoots revealed themselves in the spring. They had survived! 

Fall is really the perfect time for planting and establishing your garden perennials. After thorough watering, the roots are given time to rest and emerge in the spring when weather conditions are favorable and they are more likely to survive the harsher temperatures of summer. Planting perennials is also an efficient way to start your garden as they return year after year. An added bonus,  most plants are sold at a discount when fall rolls around.

Here are my tips for planting fall perennials:

1. When purchasing plants I always like to buy at least three of the same kind. This creates a more harmonious look to your garden and lessens the “dotty” feel when using single plants.

2. Think about your color scheme. Reds, yellows, and oranges have a bolder feel, pastels are softer.

3. Water is key. I always like to think of the roots being comforted and eased into their new surroundings. I water daily as they are being established.

4. Remove what you don’t like. Plants do not have to be permanent. If I feel like a plant is not working out for whatever reason, I will dig it up, and offer it to my neighbors or friends. Be fearless as you establish your garden! Mistakes are how you learn.

Your next year’s garden will thank you for adding all the blooms in the fall. Head to your local nursery and find your favorites. Happy fall planting! xo