October 15, 2021

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There’s nothing quite like an evergreen wreath to get us in the mood for the festivities of the Christmas and holiday season. The classic beauty of an adorned wreath, along with its soothing yet invigorating smell, reminds us of the delicious food and good times with family and friends awaiting us in the weeks to come.

While wreaths may adorn our homes any time of the year, many of us associate them mainly with the holidays. Wreaths may decorate a door or wall or lay flat on a table, especially popular for an Advent wreath.

The word wreath derives from an Old English word that means ‘twisted.’ Many different cultures use wreaths as decoration or symbolic displays. In the Persian Empire, the wreath represented a sign of power. Ancient Greek and Egyptian civilizations adorned them with fabric and jewels to add beauty to their surroundings.

Decorating with wreaths during the winter holidays started with the Pagan festival of Yule. Pagans traditionally displayed their wreaths with the Winter Solstice. The wreath symbolized nature and brought with it the promise of spring.

In the 16th century, Christians adopted the tradition of decorating with wreaths from the Pagan religion. The wreath for the Christians symbolized the Crown of Thorns and, when adorned with red berries, also represented the blood of Christ. The Advent Wreath is displayed four weeks before Christmas Day, showing four candles, three purple and one pink. The pink candle, also known as the ‘Christ Candle’, represents the last candle lit on Christmas Eve.

General Care

Evergreens typically thrive in cold winter weather. So if you display your wreath outside, it will stay fresh and fragrant during the entire holiday season. A good-quality fresh wreath will also last from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day with the proper care. At Alpha Fern, we guarantee the freshest wreaths and garlands that will last for the entire holiday season. Consider the following tips to make sure your wreath maintains its freshness all season:

  • Start with a fragrant wreath that feels soft and not brittle to the touch.
  • Wreaths made primarily from pine and cedar typically last the longest.
  • Treat the wreath with an anti-desiccant product. This product will seal the pores and help the wreath retain moisture.
  • Keep the wreath out of direct sunlight.
  • Make sure the wreath does not hang over the fireplace or any source of candles or open flames.
  • Make use of a humidifier, especially if you live in a dry or cold climate. Though evergreens typically thrive outdoors in the cold, the forced heat in our homes tends to dry them out.
  • Mist wreaths and other evergreens décor daily or as often as needed.

Decorating Your Wreath

An evergreen wreath all by itself may look and smell beautiful, but ways to enhance or decorate your wreath abound. Before you decide the theme for your décor, make sure you gather the basic materials you’ll need:

A fresh, healthy wreath you can fluff up to maximize the volume. Gently fluff the branches and watch how it makes the wreath much fuller and encourages the evergreen fragrance.
Make sure to gather the proper tools to attach additional greenery, ornaments, or other adornments. Some materials that may come in handy include;

Flocking spray
Wire
Pipe cleaners
Hot glue
Fish line
Pliers

Gather the decorative materials you’ll need. It may help to sketch your design as a guide.

Decorating Ideas

You may purchase a beautifully pre-decorated wreath. But, if you want to feed your creative side or participate in a holiday family activity, decorating a wreath may become one of your holiday traditions. Start with these basic ideas to get your artistic juices flowing:

Traditional holiday wreaths leave no question that you’re in a festive mood. This wreath style may start with a primary long-lasting evergreen and display other greenery such as juniper, holly, and berry, or rosemary as part of the design. Plain or frosted pine cones may also adorn a traditional holiday wreath.

You may want to make your wreaths even more festive with ornaments, small toys such as animals and snowmen, brightly colored ribbons, and even candy canes. Mini electric or battery-operated lights also add a lot of warmth to your wreath.
Floral wreaths with faux, dried, or fresh flowers look and smell lovely. Roses and lavender work exceptionally well as floral additions to your wreath. If you use silk or other artificial flowers, try adding a few drops of essential oil to the petals.

Matching your décor with your wreath design adds some holiday class to your surroundings. For example, if blue represents the primary color for your living space, try creating a wreath with blue and silver ornaments.

We Can Help

Whether you need to decorate one door or an entire business for the holidays, we carry the perfect evergreen product for you. At Alpha Fern, we also have products for other occasions in addition to the holidays. We carry many types and sizes of wreaths to get you started on your creative project, along with an array of greenery types. But, if time does not permit, or you want something ready to give or send, we also offer pre-designed wreaths for all occasions including the holidays and expressing sympathy. Take a look at our Wild Magnolia and Southern Magnolia wreaths.

We’ve been the experts in evergreens since 1975 and ship beautiful wreaths, garlands, and other greenery to customers all over the world. Besides loving our products, our customers also love purchasing from us because of our commitment to service and to the planet.

When you create an account with Alpha Fern, you’ll receive support from our knowledgeable staff and maintain control of your account and your needs.
We know you will love the freshness and beauty of our products and therefore feel confident offering a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

We care about the planet! We own 150 acres of cultivated land to grow our beautiful greenery, but we also reserve another 100 acres as a nature and wildlife reserve.

We would love to answer your questions and make sure you receive the best greenery for your holiday wreath project. Contact us here to set up an account or ask any questions.