It’s become tradition in my household to create decorations out of foliage for the festive season – specifically a wreath for the door, bundles to adorn the staircase and a garland for the mantelpiece. Being the first weekend in December, my family took the chance, and lack of rain, to take a quick stroll through our local woodland to find some bits and pieces to turn our home into a Christmas grotto.
So today, for Blogmas post number two, I thought I’d present to you all my tips for foraging:
Be mindful
Are you taking from private property? Or directly from the side of the footpath? To avoid accidentally taking something you’re not rightfully allowed to take, ensure you’re on public footpaths and only taking foliage from unnoticeable areas.
Lessen your impact
Take a twig or two from one shrub and then move onto another shrub. That way you’re not causing damage to any one plant.
Only take what you need
This is a pretty obvious one, but I know how easy it is to get carried away as you gather more and more bits and pieces. Keep in mind your project and stick to collecting only what you need to fulfil that task.
Leave rare plants alone
If you can see there isn’t much of a particular plant species in an area, it’s best to leave that one alone; this encourages diversity of plant populations.
Have fun!
Take this moment to appreciate being outside in the winter chill, connecting a little to nature and spending time with family and friends.
I’m not at all a plant identification expert, so I’m not too sure what to call some of our collected foliage. We got several types of coniferous sprigs, a clipping of vibrant holly, another type of plant with red berries and some deep-green boxleaf. To make our decorations, we’re going to use some of the ivy from our garden and a few other bits and pieces (such as pinecones, orange slices, cinnamon sticks and baubles). Hopefully this will be enough to give our home the festive vibe we’re after!
Stay tuned to see our decorations take shape next weekend!
Read Day One – Festive Snail Mail!
Keep up to date by following me on Twitter @alysjournals 🙂
Alys Journals 
Ooh! I’ve nevwe thought about foraging for foliage! It’s such a good idea!
Kelly
http://www.thiswayandthatway.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha thank you! It can be a lot of fun ❤
LikeLike