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Gardening Tips & Techniques

How to Make a Living Ivy Wreath

The enormous success of living wreaths has captured the imagination of not only gardeners but also many of those interested in fine crafts, family projects and interior design. The holiday season is a perfect opportunity to begin the construction of a living ivy wreath, one that will last through the winter months and be ready to be moved outdoors next spring once all danger of frost has passed.

The use of ivy as the background plant allows for later additions of fresh flowers in water capsules, dried pods or cones, ribbons, candles and any other personal touches suited to the individual occasion.

What you will need

All supplies used in this wreath are available at garden centers, craft supply stores and florist shops. To begin, assemble the following items on a covered work surface:

• Two 18-inch wire wreath bases
• 1 square yard of green sheet moss
• 6 cups of sterile soilless mix
• 1/8 tsp. dry polymer gel crystals
• 50 2-inch S-pins or greening pins
• 22-gauge spool wire
• 28 to 36 small rooted ivy cuttings (try several varieties for a special effect)

How to make the wreath

Dampen the entire sheet of moss, either by misting it thoroughly with a hand mister or by submerging it in a sink and squeezing out all excess water.
Spread the moss sheet out, green side down, so it reaches 6 to 8 inches beyond the wreath form. Any extra small pieces of moss can be overlapped and used too.
Place one wreath form (curved side down) on the moss, and use some spool wire to secure the second form onto the first.
Moisten the 6 cups of soilless mix. Hydrate the 1/8 teaspoon of polymer crystals by adding 1/2 cup of water to them. Now combine the moistened soilless mix with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the hydrated product.
Fill the wreath form with moistened soil and press gently.
Place rooted cuttings into the soil (poke holes with your finger to create planting spots for cuttings). Add small amounts of moistened soil as needed to anchor roots thoroughly.
Work in a clocklike fashion, spacing plants evenly throughout all sections of the wire forms. Remember, the tiny ivy plants will continue to grow and fill all spaces.
Gently begin to pull moss up over the form. Make holes in the moss, again with your finger, to allow small ivy plants to weave through. Use S-shaped pins to secure moss pieces to the frame or plants to the form.
Begin to wrap the entire form loosely with wire. Gently lift the frame with one hand and slide wire under it with the other hand. Wrap the frame a second time tightly so that all the moss and plants are held securely.
If plants begin to fall out or if holes develop in the moss, use additional S-pins to pull pieces together.

Caring for your wreath

Indoor care of your living wreath is quite simple. Thoroughly water the entire wreath once a week in a bathtub or sink, and let excess water drain out. Place the wreath on a platter or tray in bright indirect light. Daily misting during the dry days of indoor heat keeps it the wreath looking fresh. Problem areas can be replaced with fresh, rooted cuttings at any time.

Around March 1, begin to fertilize the wreath when you water with a dilute liquid 10-10-10 fertilizer in preparation for the ivy's full growing season outdoors. When the region's last frost date of May 15 has passed, your wreath is ready to be moved outside, after a week or two of acclimatization.

Although your holiday wreath may have taken form in December, it is truly a versatile living collection of plants that can be "dressed" for all occasions.