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These wreaths have California flair

Wreath Masters: 'Great British Bake Off' meets California native floral design

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED DEC 11, 2020

This wreath by Fran Steinhardt is one of the entries
from Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens.
(Photos courtesy CNPS)

Need fun inspiration for a wreath with a distinctly California flourish? Check out the “Wreath Masters” competition, hosted by the California Native Plant Society.

CNPS challenged botanical gardens, nurseries, society members and other partners throughout the state to create holiday wreaths made with California native plants. The competition culminates in a live event where celebrity judges — Maurice Harris of Bloom and Plume, Katie Chirgotis of Eothen Floral Studios and Chico-based garden writer Jennifer Jewell — will determine the winners in six categories, including best in show.

“We’re imagining a wild mash-up of 'Great British Bake Off' meets California native floral design, aiming to inspire Californians to consider the seasonal beauty, ecological value and horticultural merit of these amazing plants,” said David Bryant, CNPS campaigns and engagement manager and organizer of the event.

“Holiday wreaths are such a fun way to showcase California native plants — not just our conifers like pine and cedar, but Toyon berries, manzanita branches, and even plants like our succulents,” CNPS Senior Communications Director Liv O’Keeffe said. “With more than 6,000 types of native plants, California has more plants than any other state in the U.S. That certainly gives us a lot of potential inspiration!”

According to its organizers, the competition draws attention to the vibrant California native plant community. Among the rules: All wreath submissions must feature plants ethically gathered from home and private gardens. Wild foraging is prohibited.

Su Kraus at Moosa Creek Nursery, a

wholesale native plant nursery near
Escondido, fashioned this simple wreath entry.

Submissions are now available for viewing on the competition’s webpage: https://www.cnps.org/wreathmasters

The live “Wreath Masters” competition is set for 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18. Judges will pick:

Most “I want to hang this on my door”

Most avant-garden

Most whimsical

Most naturalistic

Kids category (under 18)

Best in show

To witness the judging (which should be fun), register in advance on the Wreath Masters webpage.

You’ll also find tips on how to create your own totally California wreath to celebrate the holidays.

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Keywords:

December Sacramento holiday decor native plants holiday events contest California Native Plant Society California natives botanical gardens wreaths

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FALL

Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air

Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets

Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty

Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest

SUMMER

Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?

Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you

Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water

Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers

July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

July 15: Does this plant need water?

July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

July 1: How to grow summer salad greens

June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

June 17: Help pollinators help your garden

June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests

June 3: Make your own compost

May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?

May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days

May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can

May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success

April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?

April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)

April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers

April 8: When to plant summer vegetables

April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths

March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth

WINTER

March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds

March 4: Potatoes from the garden

Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later

Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space

Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting

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Garden checklist for week of Nov. 16

During breaks in the weather, tackle some garden tasks:

* Clear gutters and storm drains.

* Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* After the storm, seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Plant bulbs at two-week intervals to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting them. Do leave some (healthy) leaves in the planting beds for wildlife and beneficial insect habitat.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

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