Following on from our annual walk up Holmbury Hill, followed by mulled wine and mince pies at Belmont School, on the first Saturday in December, our second festive event is natural wreath making and decorating for Christmas. Sixteen members of the Society gathered for a sunny morning walk, gathering greenery in a private wood in Wonersh, near Guildford.
The group then spent two happy hours talking and drinking mulled punch and mince pies while making some beautiful natural wreaths from twigs, moss, holly, ivy, yew and rose hips.
Volunteer leaders Chris Howard and Charlotte Choi led the group, while Jeff Holliday and Ken Bare kept the mulled punch and mince pies flowing. Chris said ” we had such a range of people come from a mum and 7 month old baby, to a mum with three grown up daughters who come every year to our wreath making. It is one of their family’s little treats over the festive season.”
Chris also explained that with all the talk about Climate change and habitat loss, it was important to cherish our wonderful native plants like holly and ivy. The prickly holly makes a great hiding place for small birds, and the berries a natural food source. The ivy flowers late in the autumn so is a great source of nectar for insects, as well as great nesting sites for birds in the summer. Chris added “I encourage the participants to plant holly, ivy and yew in their gardens, so not only can they decorate their houses festively and cheaply at Christmas time, but they are also helping to sustain this counties wildlife all year round.
The next event in our festive season line up is a walk around Guildford on 27th December, called “Walk off your Christmas Pudding” led by Pete Lambert.
