What's coming out of the workshop

We are limbering up for Whiteladies Farmers Market tomorrow morning.  Spent all day in the workshop.  Here are a couple that we will be taking.  The Fruit Wreath is a new one - the Orange and Cinnamon our best seller.   Too scared to check the weather forecast....

Large Fruit Wreath

 

Orange and Cinnamon Wreath

Big base !

Yesterday was the first day of Advent, and to celebrate we started work on a  wreath for a BIG door.
Here is a picture of Catherine wearing the finished base....

Catherine modelling a big wreath base

You might notice the cocktail glass on the table.  We are also working on perfecting the perfect Gin Martini.  Let the season begin !

Hydrangea danger..

It's the floral equivalent of taking a motorbike apart in your hall.. There are trays of hydrangeas drying everywhere.  They go out in the morning into the garden to get a bit of sun but the rest of the time hang around the house getting in everyone's way. 

Hydrageas drying in the sun

I have got some lovely bright red local ones, some really great ones from Cornwall and also from Glastonbury.   The weather has been very kind to them and there are some really beautiful colours this year.  

Hydrangea Wreath

We will be making up the hydrangea wreaths over the course of the next couple of weeks once the blooms are ready to work.  Once we have worked through the waiting list we will put them up for sale in the on line shop.  If you want to reserve one now, just get in touch.
 

Spring Table Centres

We have made a lot of these over the Easter break.  Some as gifts and quite a lot for a celebration dinner last night in The Great Hall in the Wills Memorial Building.

Bay, Rhubarb Leaf, Purple Broccoli, Aster, Paperwhite Narcissi Table Centre   

      This one was a mix of what is good at the Canford Allotment, hence the Broccoli and Baby Rhubarb leaves and Bronze Fennel, with tiny white Asters, Eryngium and some very heady smelling Paperwhite Narcissi.

In the last week the new growth has really kicked in.  Spring is here. We mowed the lawns and are busy planning and planting for the new season. Feels good.  

Workshop yesterday at Bristol Zoo

Yesterday we had our annual workshop at Bristol Zoo, hosted by Mandy Leivers and the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project.

A good days work

 Its a great way to start the season. Watching everyone else work, producing amazing results, And cake.  We ate loads of cake. Thanks to you all for a great day.  Hang your wreaths with pride !

Christmas tables

Yesterday we did our Christmas photoshoot.  We were working with our photographer, Liz McDougall at the home of stylist, Katie O'Brien-Clarke to try to capture the essence of Christmas Day.  With the help of some good Christmas tunes, a great setting and Katie's extensive collection of fabulous tableware I think we got there.

Christmas table

We also got Gabriel's beautiful handmade bunting out for the occasion. 

Christmas table with bunting

We had a great day and Liz has now sifted through the hundreds of lovely photos so I can take them to Jon to put up on the new Lookbook page that he is creating for the website.

Thanks to you all for a great day, especially Katie's serving sloe gin before lunch to sort out all the hangovers and get us focused for the job in hand.    Will update again with some more pictures soon.

Hydrangeas drying on the windowsills

Hydrangeas drying on the office windowsill

It's that time of year again.  The fireplaces are all full, the dried ones are stacked in greengrocers trays around the place and the snails are all crawling out and finding their way onto the skirting boards.

We are even now stacking them up in the windowsill of my office. Actually, I think they look pretty good there.
 
These I think will be ready to work in the morning so will post up some finished results of the hydrangea wreaths made from them very soon.

Fresh herb wreath

This fresh herb wreath came out of the workshop this morning.  It smells really lovely as it is made entirely with edible herbs - bay, rosemary, sage and  mint, with blue and purple accents provided by mint flowers and borage - with a little white rocket flower too.

Herb Wreath

This one was one of those commissioned for a farmhouse christening celebration to adorn the garden door and the celebration tables. We were really pleased with it.

Garlandgirls at the University Botanic Gardens

We had a great afternoon in the Potting Shed at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden, making long garlands for our fireplaces and staircases.  Here is a pic of my garlandgirls with their finished swags.  Thanks everyone for a great afternoon.   

University of Bristol Botanic Garden garlandgirls

Last night's swag workshop....

Here's a pic of all the garlandgirls from last nights swag workshop at Clifton High.  A good time was had by all....

Clifton High garlandgirls December 2013

What's coming out of the workshop....

Busy day yesterday but thought we would just post a few shots of some of the products coming out of the workshop.  Here is a nice swag in silver with blue.

fireplace swag winter white and blue

And here are a couple of Rose and Chrysanthemum Wreaths.  The pink one is currently on the door of garland HQ..... 


Rose and Chrysanthemum Wreath - Red



Rose and Chrysanthemum Wreath - Pink



Orange and Cinnamon Wreath

Cyber Monday is upon us and we are all busy in the workshop making up our first batch of orders for despatch later today.  The Orange and Cinnamon Wreath is again our best seller at this point in the season, as it was last year



Orange and Cinnamon Wreath

But these are early days... 

Christmas Wreath and Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project

We were at Bristol Zoo yesterday with the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project running our workshop on Creating Christmas Wreaths.  Mandy Leivers, the education officer, kindly hosted this event , and we spent a lovely day making some really beautiful Chrismas Wreaths and walking on the Downs learning about the history and folklore that surrounds the foliage we use at Christmas.   We have run this course many times here  and it was a great success with everyone taking home beautiful work.  It really was a good day. 

Here we are with our finished wreaths 

This is the fourth year that greengarland have worked with the Project and we are very proud to be associated with them. The Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project is in its eleventhyear and is a collaboration funded  by Bristol City Council, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Natural England, University of Bristol, Society of Merchant Venturers, the Downs Committee and the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation, and work in partnership with the National Trust (phew). Their work celebrates the outstanding wildlife interests of the Avon Gorge and Downs and works to secure its future.


Mandy has inspired almost a whole generation of children (including mine who are now in their teens) to appreciate and enjoy the diversity and uniqueness of the Downs.  My garden is full of insect hides and bird boxes that my boys have made on some of Mandy's courses when they were younger, and we have as a family spent many happy hours listening for birds, hugging trees, hunting for rare moths and identifying some of the unique species that grow there on the wide range of walks, talks and courses that they run all year round.

So many hanks to Mandy and the project for hosting us again.  It was a really great group to work with and the finished wreaths were all brilliant.  Until next time....   

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends

Today may seem like a normal Thursday but it is fact Thanksgiving Day so in the last few days have been busy making up our Thanksgiving Orders. This Bay, Rosemary and Kumquat wreath has proved very popular - and today we will be out and about delivering these lovely fragrant wreaths to those celebrating Thanksgiving today.


Bay, rosemary and kumquat wreath

      So, whether for you its Thanksgiving or merely Thursday, have a good one...... s     

The hydrangea wreath season is now upon us

All the hydrangeas in the garden and at the allotment were harvested about two weeks ago.  We have since been busy making up the hydrangea wreaths which are now on sale in the on line shop .  They are very nearly dry and ready for packing.

It has been a busy couple of weeks.  We spent a day last week with the BBC Countryfile Magazine team preparing a guide to making a traditional Christmas wreath for their December edition.  Lots of close up shots of my hands (!)   Will post some pictures and links as soon as they are back from the production team.

The wreath and garland order s are already starting to come in.We are also doing courses in both Wreath making and garland making again this year hosted again at two great venues -  University of Bristol Botanic Garden and Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Trust  .  Check out the workshop page for more details and booking information.  

Nominate greengarland for an Observer Ethical Award

Here at greengarland we are very proud that we make our wreaths and garlands with locally grown or sourced, compostable materials, and deliver them in recycled, recyclable boxes.  We make some wreaths here at garland HQ entirely from materials from our garden and allotment.

Hydrangea Wreaths

We were also totally chuffed to have been included in The Guardian/Observer Wish List with our Hydrangea Wreath which is made from locally grown hydrangeas and willow.

 Please nominate us for an Observer Ethical Award.  Go to our website and follow the link from the “Nominate us ” button on the front page and nominate greengarland for this award.  It takes about 30 seconds and you will also be entered into a draw that could win you a holiday in India. Make greengarland your ethical hero.  Voting closes on Friday 22^nd  March.

Many thanks Sue 

The wreath on the door of Garland HQ

rose and chrysanthemum wreath 

There are two questions that we get asked every year.  They are

Q 1.  How many wreaths do you make in a season ?

A       Don't know.  Too daunting to count at the beginning of the season, and just toooo tired to count at the end.

Q 2.  What wreath do you have on YOUR door.

A   It changes - this year we have had a succession of wreaths - starting out with last year's best seller, the Orange and Cinnamon...and then a rather lovely Mini Apple and Cinnamon (see below).  But some of our prototype experiments go on the door here at Garland HQ too.  The rose and chrysanthemum one above was a happy accident between a lovely bunch of flowers given to us by Mandy at the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project after our lovely day there making swags.  I think this one should go on the 2013 new product shortlist.  We shall see.  

apple and cinnamon wreath

  
We are nearly there now.  Just a couple more orders to sort and my own staircase and fireplaces to finish. Hopefully the light will be good enough to post some shots.  We shall see....

Making garlands at the Zoo on Saturday

We are very much looking forward to Saturday (15th) as we will be hosted again by the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project at Bristol Zoo Gardens.  Our  workshop, Creating Christmas Garlands still has a few places if you would like to join us to make a 1.5 m swag (like the one below).  Its a lovely day with the workshop in the morning, the  chance to eat your packed lunch in the Zoo Garden followed by a 

nice brisk walk on the Downs with Mandy Leivers, the Education Officer to discover the history and folklore of seasonal foliage.  Booking through Mandy  at mleivers@bristolzoo.org.uk or phone on 0117 9030609. 

greengarland hydrangea wreath makes it to The Guardian Wish List

greengarland hydrangea wreath 

We are very happy here at garland HQ today.  Our hydrangea wreath has made it onto the Guardian Life and Style Wish List .  It also appears in today's edition of the Observer Magazine :)

Whats coming out of the workshop this week...

Orange and Cinnamon Wreath

This week has been busy but good.  We started on Saturday with a great day for the Whiteladies Road Farmers Market.  Cold and clear.  Lovely.  Ever since we have been in the workshop making up  and despatching orders locally, nationally and even one to Venice.

The wreaths sort of evolve as the season progresses so got the camera out and took a couple of photos of what we have been up to in the last few days.  This Orange and Cinnamon Wreath smells really good.  As does the Traditional Red Wreath below.

Traditional Red Wreath

We were at the market again at 5 a.m. buying  lovely fresh Welsh blue pine as we are working on a 18 meter monster swag to decorate a dining hall and staircase in a country house in Somerset.  We are going for a gold and orange theme with hints of rosemary and cinnamon.Will post some pictures of that work in progress later.