MAKING AN AUTUMN WREATH

Create a natural wreath base by twisting long bendy, leafless stems of wisteria, willow, dogwood or similar into a circle. For foraged ingredients, check what is available to collect on walks around your local area. I used a selection of branches, including wild red crab apple (similar to Malus robusta ‘Red Sentinel’), ornamental grape vine (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), native hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), with its dark sloe berries. Arrange three to four stems of each together with a few dried fern leaves in a semi-circle on the wreath base and secure with wire or twine. Add home-grown produce from your garden or allotment: I picked hops, purple perilla, dill flowers, flowering stems of chard and seed pods of red orach and rocket. These will create another layer of interest and texture.

For that bountiful autumn feel, add brightly coloured dahlias, artichoke heads, mini pumpkins or other small yet ornamental vegetables and fresh or dried hydrangea flowers. The stems of these can be inserted through the wreath. Use wire or twine to fix them into place. To prolong the life of your fresh blooms, insert their stems into small plastic tubes filled with water when attaching them to the wreath.