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These wreaths have California flair

Wreath Masters: 'Great British Bake Off' meets California native floral design

Wreath on red door
This wreath by Fran Steinhardt is one of the entries
from Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens.
(Photos courtesy CNPS)



Need fun inspiration for a wreath with a distinctly California flourish? Check out the “Wreath Masters” competition, hosted by the California Native Plant Society.

CNPS challenged botanical gardens, nurseries, society members and other partners throughout the state to create holiday wreaths made with California native plants. The competition culminates in a live event where celebrity judges — Maurice Harris of Bloom and Plume, Katie Chirgotis of Eothen Floral Studios and Chico-based garden writer Jennifer Jewell — will determine the winners in six categories, including best in show.

“We’re imagining a wild mash-up of 'Great British Bake Off' meets California native floral design, aiming to inspire Californians to consider the seasonal beauty, ecological value and horticultural merit of these amazing plants,” said David Bryant, CNPS campaigns and engagement manager and organizer of the event.

“Holiday wreaths are such a fun way to showcase California native plants — not just our conifers like pine and cedar, but Toyon berries, manzanita branches, and even plants like our succulents,” CNPS Senior Communications Director Liv O’Keeffe said. “With more than 6,000 types of native plants, California has more plants than any other state in the U.S. That certainly gives us a lot of potential inspiration!”

According to its organizers, the competition draws attention to the vibrant California native plant community. Among the rules: All wreath submissions must feature plants ethically gathered from home and private gardens. Wild foraging is prohibited.

Square twig wreath on brown door
Su Kraus at Moosa Creek Nursery, a
wholesale native plant nursery near
Escondido, fashioned this simple wreath entry.
Submissions are now available for viewing on the competition’s webpage:
https://www.cnps.org/wreathmasters

The live “Wreath Masters” competition is set for 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18. Judges will pick:

Most “I want to hang this on my door”

Most avant-garden

Most whimsical

Most naturalistic

Kids category (under 18)

Best in show

To witness the judging (which should be fun), register in advance on the Wreath Masters webpage.

You’ll also find tips on how to create your own totally California wreath to celebrate the holidays.

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

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