Thank you for taking the time to read this page to learn about caring for your new living wreath!
All living wreaths require care. Their care is similar to caring for a hanging basket or potted plant. They require water, fertilizer, trimming and occasional rotation to keep them looking their best.
With the exception of succulents and portulaca, the plants would prefer to have their soil kept evenly moist. They should be watered before they completely dry out.
Please keep reading for detailed care information to help your wreath thrive.
Growing Wreaths Outdoors In Winter
Watering:
To water your living wreath, it is best to take it down from where it is hung. Lay it on a flat surface so that you can evenly water it. Alternatively, you can set the wreath in a shallow pan of water and allow it to wick up the water. After it has been watered, you should allow it to drain before rehanging it.
The frequency with which you need to water the wreath will depend on several variables such as plant species, sun exposure and temperature. After you first bring home your wreath, you should check its moisture level daily to determine the necessary watering schedule. Most of the plants in our living wreaths would prefer to have their soil kept evenly moist.
Monitor the wreath’s moisture level by feeling the burlap and soil underneath the plants. Your watering schedule will likely change as the season progresses. You may only need to water weekly in cooler weather whereas, in the heat of summer the wreath may need watering daily.
Fertilizing:
Our living wreaths are live plants, and thus they require fertilizing like any other container grown plant. We recommend watering them with a mild liquid fertilizer solution at least once a week to keep them looking their best.
Trimming:
To keep your wreath tidy and shaped like a wreath it will likely require occasional trimming. If your wreath has started to get overgrown looking, you can lightly shear or hand trim back the shoots that have grown out of proportion. By trimming back these shoots, you will encourage the plants in the wreath to grow in a more compact, bushy manner.
It is important to make sure that you are fertilizing your wreath regularly if you wish to trim it. This way the plants have enough nutrition to re-sprout new healthy growth after trimming.
In addition to trimming, it can be a good idea to rotate your wreath though, this tip only applies to our round wreath. Because plants naturally want to grow up, and the top of the wreath will get better sun exposure, rotating the wreath can help it to maintain a uniform shape and growth habit. For our horse and half moon wreaths you will need to rely on occasional trimming to keep the wreath looking its best.
Sun Exposure:
Sun exposure is where the care of our various wreaths varies the most. We have wreaths that prefer full sun to look their best, and those that require full shade. This way you can select a wreath that works perfectly for your environment whether it is your sunny front fence, or your shady back patio.
The product page for each wreath will tell you what plants the wreath contains. It will also tell you its sun exposure and moisture preferences.
Wreaths containing the following plants would prefer full sun:
Succulents
Rosemary
Viola
Portulaca
Ageratum
Thyme
Amaranthus
Ajuga
Wreaths containing the following plants would prefer full shade:
Impatiens
Coleus
Streptocarpella
Polka Dot Plant
Creeping fig
Baby Tears
Tuberous begonias
Wreaths containing the following plants can tolerate a mixture of sun and shade:
Wax Begonias
Bacopa
Coleus
New Guinea Impatiens
Depending on your climate some of these plants may be able to tolerate full sun, but many of them prefer bright or dappled shade. It is best if they can at minimum receive afternoon shade in most climates.
Cold Hardiness:
Most of our wreaths are frost tender and should be protected from freezing temperatures. Many of the plants used in the wreaths are typically considered annuals.
However, some of our living wreaths may brought indoors over the winter or used as indoor décor. Wreaths that are good candidates for this are mainly our shade wreaths. Streptocarpellas are an excellent candidate as their care requirements are very similar to that of African violets.
Begonias, polka dot plants, creeping fig, baby tears and coleus can also make good house plants. Indoors these plants will require similar care to what they would receive outdoors. However, it is particularly important to provide them with uniform bright light to keep their growth habit compact and tidy.
Additionally we offer a few evergreen/cold hardy wreaths that can be kept outside year round. These are wreaths involving sedums, sempervivums, thyme and ajuga. Many of the plants used in these wreaths are cold hardy to zone 4 *when planted in the ground*. However, unlike plants grown in the ground, plants growing in our wreaths are not protected by the soil mass, snow cover, etc. so they cannot tolerate the same cold temperatures. If you are growing one of our cold hardy wreaths, please be sure to protect it from wind and temperature extremes. This way it will not get wind or cold damaged and look its best all winter.
Lastly, our rosemary holiday wreaths are evergreen and moderately cold hardy. They are not extremely cold hardy and should be protected from freezing temperatures.
If your living wreath was shipped to you. Please give them some extra attention upon their arrival.
When Your Wreath Arrives
When you receive your plants in the mail they have been in the dark for days and may be exiting their box into a completely different environment than they were grown in. Please remove the wreath from the box immediately upon arrival, and water it thoroughly if it is dry. Do not allow the box to sit out in the sun or cold as it can result in the plants being damaged or killed.
If any of the plants were dislodged during shipping, please lay the wreath on a flat surface for a week or two to allow the plants to re-root into the wreath before hanging the wreath up.
After your wreath arrives you will need to acclimate it to your environment.
Place the wreath in a shaded, sheltered area for a few days or week to allow the plants to acclimate. It is preferable to place the wreath outside somewhere like under a tree. If you cannot keep the plants outside because it is too cold, make sure to keep them in a sunny window. If kept in a dark corner inside they will die quickly. If you do not have a sunny window, then lay the wreath under a grow light until it can be hung outdoors.
Our plants are grown in a very humid greenhouse. If you live in a dry climate please make sure the plants are sheltered from direct sun and wind while they acclimate. Also, make sure not to allow the soil to dry out.
Once the wreath has adjusted to its new environment, you can move it to its permanent location. If you notice the leaves getting burned edges, this is a sign that the wreath is getting too much light, and you should move it to a more shady location.
We hope that this helps you to keep your living wreath looking beautiful all season long! If you have any questions or concerns about caring for your new living wreath, please contact us so that we can help!