Petals & Roots: The Unexpected Thanksgiving Centerpiece I Return To Year After Year
It doesn't contain flowers, but it's no less beautiful
I love the idea of making a Thanksgiving table garland using foliage gathered from the garden. There’s something so lovely about bringing a little of the outdoors inside at this time of year, when the garden is full of rich fall colors, interesting textures and beautiful seasonal details.
You don't need lots of expensive stems to create something special, either. A few leafy branches, some berries, and fragrant herbs can be just as beautiful, particularly when they're gathered together in a loose, natural arrangement.
There's also something meaningful, I feel, about using what you already have. Thanksgiving is all about gathering together, sharing food and appreciating what we have, and I think a garden-gathered centrepiece captures that spirit beautifully. In this weekend's episode of Petals & Roots, which you can watch below, I show you my tried-and-tested method for creating a garden-inspired garland that is textured and fragrant.
What You Need
- Paper-covered wire, which you can find at Amazon
- Alternatively you could use natural twine, or paddle wire, available from Walmart
- Floristry scissors or pruning shears, such these Fiskars bypass pruners from Ace Hardware
- These Martha Stewart dual sided gardening gloves from QVC may also come in very handy, especially if working with spiky foliage or berries
- A selection of evergreen foliage, berries and woody herbs
Inspiration for Making a Thanksgiving Foliage Garland
For me, a garland makes a wonderful alternative to a traditional vase of flowers. It runs along the centre of the table, creating a beautiful focal point without feeling too formal, and its low, relaxed shape means everyone can still see one another across the table.
Every garland will be a little different, depending on what's growing in your garden, which is part of its charm. Simply work with the shapes and textures you find, letting the materials guide you, and you'll create a centrepiece that feels personal, seasonal and connected to your garden.
To start, take a length of paper-covered wire or twine roughly 3-4 ft long, then cut a second length of wire that is longer than the first, and knot them together at the top.
You can see my exact instructions for creating layered foliage bundles in the video above. The trick is to mix up your leaf shapes, textures and colors, adding in berries or a contrasting fall shade at regular intervals.
The best kinds of foliage to use are evergreens with structure, such as bay, which has the added bonus of fragrance. I also love conifer for its shape, and lemon cyprus, which releases a zesty scent when cut. Woody herbs are great, such as rosemary, sage, thyme and even lavender.
Other foliage I would use if I grew them are eucalyptus, pittosporum, blue spruce and myrtle. I love cotoneaster for red and orange berries at this time of year, but you could also add holly, berried tree ivy or rosehips.
Once your garland is complete you can have fun styling it on your Thanksgiving table.
Garlands lend themselves beautifully to being wound around candles, and a few antique-style holders with taper candles in soft fall shades would work really well with a natural design like this.
You could always make some rustic bundles of fresh rosemary to place on napkins, too, or you might be inspired by my napkin micro posy idea from a previous Petals & Roots episode.
What to Shop For Your Thanksgiving Table
Petals & Roots is a bi-weekly video series fronted by me, Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens. Every second Sunday on social, I share my seasonal gardening and flower arranging expertise and advice.
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