›› Kayla Siefried
Bringing aromatic coniferous boughs and branches into the home and hanging them on the outside of the home is a lovely way to bring cheer and beauty to the festive season. At a recent wreath making workshop at the Compost Education Centre, it was amazing to see what people created.
In the workshop, I shared some information about ethical harvesting. For the workshop I gathered invasive ivy, holy, and daphne from a local public park, and felt as though I was doing a service to the native plants there—making space for them to thrive. I did not harvest any native plants from parks for our wreath making, instead I harvested boughs of douglas fir, blue spruce, cedar, eucalyptus, rosemary, bay, from private property where I had permission—my backyard, my friend’s backyard, and the Compost Education Centre demonstration gardens. All this harvesting was done while trying to remain conscious of my interactions with trees. I am grateful to Indigenous knowledge keepers such as Robin Wall Kimmerer who share about the principles of an Honourable Harvest (look it up!).
After the harvest, it’s just such a joy to put together bundles, wreaths, and fill sleeping garden boxes with beautiful coniferous bows to brighten the season. And, of benefit to us, many of these plants have aromatic essential oils, which have been found to have health benefits.
The word wreath comes from the old English word ‘writha’ which means ‘that which is round’, and it has a rich history in many cultures worldwide. Pagans use wreaths in a variety of celebrations—the circle representing the wheel of the year, time passing through the seasons and the cyclical nature of life. Ancient Greeks used and still use wreaths as crowns on the head sometimes as a symbol of life, rejuvenation, and renewal. And Christians would prune a tree into a triangle to symbolize the holy trinity and they would use these trimmings to make wreaths.
So, consider mindfully harvesting some boughs and making a wreath or some other fun celebratory bundle with your family and friends, while your garden sleeps.
