Gardening Garden Design Garden Projects How to Make a Flowering Living Wreath Perfect for a door or fence, a living wreath transitions easily from season to season thanks to a fresh profusion of blooming plants. By Marty Ross Marty Ross Marty is an award-winning garden journalist and author of hundreds of articles for Better Homes & Gardens and Country Gardens. Her monthly newspaper gardening column was syndicated to newspapers in North America for 25 years. She was a gardening columnist for the Kansas City Star for 20 years, and for many years also wrote gardening columns for the New York Times. She has written for major gardening magazines around the world, including Horticulture, The American Gardener, and The Garden. She is a professional reporter and journalist, but also a gardener, with a sprawling country garden in Virginia. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on July 5, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Marty Baldwin Project Overview Working Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour Skill Level: Kid-friendly Citrus-color violas complement this wreath's dominant bright orange and yellow pansies. Golden creeping Jenny has just the right bold contrast, and the white flowers of Nierembergia 'Laura' twinkle like tiny lights. Instead of trying to make a symmetrical arrangement, go for a balance of color and texture. Tuck plants into the sides of the wreath to make it look full and lush. What You'll Need Equipment / Tools 1 Garden trowel Materials 1 Pound of sheet moss 1 Water 1 16-inch wreath form 1 Potting soil 1 24 small plants; try a combination of plants in 4-inch pots and even smaller plants in four-packs 1 Green florist wire Instructions Line Form with Sheet Moss Soak the sheet moss in water; drain until damp and pliable. Line the wreath form with the sheet moss, with green mossy side facing out, like fitting dough in a pie pan. Overlap pieces of moss and patch as you go. Fill Form with Potting Soil Make sure the moss overlaps the upper edges of the form by a couple of inches. Fill the form about three-fourths full with potting soil. Arrange Plants Arrange the nursery pots on top of the soil. When you're happy with your design, take the plants out of their pots one at a time and plant them. Plant Sides of Wreath Form Give the wreath a full look by planting the sides, too. Poke holes through the sheet moss in three or four places around the sides of the form, and carefully insert a plant in each hole. Wrap Sheet Moss Tuck the overlapping edges of the sheet moss around the crowns of the plants. The moss holds the plants in place until their roots grip. It also helps keep the soil from drying out. Secure with Florist Wire Secure one end of the florist wire to the back of the wreath form. Wrap wire all around the wreath in a spiral pattern. Cut the wire and twist the end onto the form. Attach a short length of doubled wire to the form as a hanger; attach several more lengths so the wreath can be turned.Editor's Tip: To water wreath, place wreath on ground and gently water with a watering can. Depending on weather temperatures, you may need to water the wreath 1-3 times a week. Let dry a few hours to overnight before hanging.