Create a Living Wreath Made of Herbs for Holiday Meals

Living wreaths add beauty and fragrance to your home during the holidays. Harvest sprigs from the wreath to flavor your holiday meals.

To make a holiday wreath, begin with a metal wreath form. Wrap it in moistened sphagnum peat moss. Tuck 3"-5" herb plants into the wreath and secure with florist pins. Wrap with additional moss to hide roots.

Prepare a tray (large enough to hold the wreath) with a thin layer of soil over a 2" layer of moistened gravel. Lay the wreath flat on the tray in a sunny area. As the herbs grow, continue to secure them to the wreath. In about 4 weeks, your wreath will be sufficiently full to hang from a doorway. Take the wreath down after the big day and return it to the tray when the guests have gone home.

Herbs to grow for the holidays:

Creeping Thyme -- Excellent on everything from Turkey to roasted vegetables.
Rosemary -- Delicious on lamb, pork tenderloin, red meats, and vegetables.
Sage -- A must for traditional turkey and dressing.
Parsley -- Not just a garnish! I prefer the flavor of the flat leafed Italian
variety over curly parsley. Used in many sauce recipes, salads, and other vegetable dishes. Add finely chopped parsley and chives to green beans.
Tarragon -- Integral in French cuisine, Tarragon has a strong, slight licorice flavor. It's often used in butter base sauces and included in a rub for Turkey and Lamb.
Chives -- I love finely chopped chives in my mashed potatoes. They are also commonly used in vegetable dishes.
Mint -- Removes the gamey flavor from lamb.


Happy Holidays