wreathtastic

Here's something to get you in the holiday mood. Check out my photos of the Christmas wreaths in Colonial Williamsburg. I've got about 130 and still one more street to photograph! CW always does a great job on these. I love all the natural plant materials they use.

Here are a few of the plants I noticed being used in the wreaths:

Chinese Lantern - Physalis alkekengi. This two foot tall perennial develops beautiful orange fruit husks resembling paper lanterns.
Southern Magnolia - Magnolia grandifolia. The dramatic glossy green leaves add a sophisticated touch to holiday décor.
Indian Currant - Symphoricarpos orbiculatus. This shrub has clusters of purple berries along arching stems.
Lotus - Nelumbo spp. This beautiful water plant develops interesting seed heads.
Cockscomb - Celosia spp. These bright red, fuchsia and yellow annual flowers are great for drying.
Pomegranate - Punica granatum. The beautiful and edible red fruits are grown on large upright shrubs.
Winterberry - Ilex verticillata. This shrub’s bare branches are covered with red fruits in the fall.
Loblolly Pine - Pinus taeda. Pine cones make a nice accent to a holiday wreaths, and the long needles add a rustic touch.
Grape Vine - Vitus spp. This plant has provided the base for millions of holiday wreaths.
Chile Peppers - Capsicum spp. These annuals add festivity to your decorations.
American Bittersweet - Celastrus scandens. This vine with orange and yellow fruit adds lots of color, but avoid the non-native variety which is highly invasive.

You can see 2009's wreaths here.