Conjure your own winter creations from foraged foliage and florist’s stems. The key: anything goes
Dried chillies, lavender, feathers and palm fronds: these are not your usual Christmas wreath ingredients. But by combining more unexpected plants and flowers with seasonal staples – pine, conifer, eucalyptus, say – you can create displays that venture far beyond holly, ivy and mistletoe. Nik Southern, owner of London- and Essex-based florist Grace & Thorn, mixes fresh materials with dried foliage or flowers, forages for many ingredients and is liberal with the spray paint.
“Whether you’re going to your local woods or taking a walk down by the canal, keep your eyes open for things you could use, and later dry or spray for different effects,” she says. “Be careful with picking berries if you’re not sure what they are, though. And keep an eye out for great shapes and textures that you could layer together.”