This week I’ve been up to my neck in a sea of wreaths. Given my short stature, that isn’t the ideal metaphor (my neck only being a few feet off the ground), but imagine us all merrily drowning in a shop full of  twigs, foliage, oranges, bells, ribbon and pine cones, while singing along to ’80’s Christmas HITS!

We start wreath-making at the end of November and for the next week or two you’ll find the shop is a hive of activity, full of enthusiasm and seasonal cheer, but by Christmas eve I’m likely to have turned into an overtired grinch, filling wreaths with all sorts of nasty novelty items….so COME EARLY!

Hanging a Christmas wreath on the outside door of your house has long been a tradition. It sends a message of hope and future joy to all that pass or enter your house.

The word ‘wreath‘ is derived from an English word meaning to twist into a circle- long gone are the beautiful manicured nails I had before the flower shop. The circular shape, with no beginning or end, represents eternity or life never ending. Some believe that initially wreaths were hung on doors in Ancient Rome to represent victory and in Christianity the Christmas wreath was used to symbolise the life of Christ.

Christmas wreaths are  traditionally made from fresh evergreens. Since evergreens are green year-round, they were the obvious choice during the winter months (although some prefer bare twigs and we do these too), but additions to the ring make them personal and can tell a much richer story about the person, or people, living behind the door on which it hangs.

At The Flower Shop, Pulborough you will find a huge array of different wreaths with everything from winter cabbage, spiced orange, dried apple, cinnamon sticks, fairies, bells and ribbon (of all colours, patterns and finishes).

If you want to make your own wreath, you can call into the shop and buy all the bits you need and we’ll even give you a few tips on how to make it last and look extra special. If you don’t have the time to make your own you can be sure to find one that suits you, one that will say something about you, to those passing your door.

If you have a military background, why not add in a few toy soldiers (also available from the Flower Shop). If you love cooking, add in a few decorative sprouts – they have become my personal signature, if you find a sprout or two in your wreath, you’ll know it was made by my own fair hand!

Ask us to make your wreath personal to you, or how about giving someone a wreath as a Christmas gift? The most unusual request so far has be to integrate a playmobil into a wreath. So I CHALLENGE YOU, my lovely customers, to try and phase us!!!

Be as creative as you like and we will try to exceed your expectations!

Unlike most Christmas decorations that remain up just for the few weeks leading up to and over Christmas, wreaths can remain up and on your door for the whole winter! Then as we move into Spring why not mark the new season by a fresh spring wreath. You can have Summer and Autumn wreaths too, allowing you to celebrate what nature and the countryside gives you all year round.

Now on with the wreath making…

Christmas time
Mistletoe and wine

With berries on the fir and boughs from the tree
A time to rejoice in the wreaths that we see….“