Wreath-making Adventures
Linda Petite – the Head Gardener at HCP has been teaching wreath-making workshops since 2014. This is one of the many stories of the dedicated participants.
“Since 2018 my four friends and I have included wreath making at HCP as part of our annual Ladies’ Weekend . Every year we arrive from Calgary in early December for 5 days of pre-holiday fun and the highlight has become our morning at HCP where we harness all our creative juices into making a wreath that we can proudly hang on our doors. There was a steep learning curve the first year as we discovered that as beautiful as ivy and other plants can be, they do not do well when transported back to Calgary and the frigid temperatures we experience. Best to stick to the evergreens for our wreaths and leave those more delicate greens to the islanders!
In the days leading up to the workshop we all start to wonder whether we are up to the task and serious “wreath anxiety” kicks in! But when we arrive at The Gardens at HCP and Linda and her volunteers get the group started, all anxiety fades away. Linda is always available for a helping hand or a bit of advice and at the end of the workshop each of the 20 participants have a very different and very beautiful wreath to admire.
Making the wreaths is just the start of our adventure however as we have to get them back to Calgary.
We have developed a system of wrapping them that allows us to carry them on the plane and store them in the overhead bins. Pity the person who tries to stack a suitcase on top! We are already excited about returning to HCP next December to do it again. Thanks Linda and crew!”
