The Boxwood Wreath .What your wreath didnt tell you.

I just love those boxwood wreaths and their simple beauty. You think that you can just decorate them with pretty bows and place them so perfectly on your front door changing the color year round. Boxwood makes great wreaths since their needles do not fall to the floor .

 

décor steals



                                                                                 

James Farmer



                                                                                                                 
You  take them out of the package and loving  how beautiful , green and plush it is. You hang them outside on the door so all your neighbors and everyone driving by can see how beautiful it makes your door look

an then one day you walk outside



with a look of  aaarrrrgh  and uggggg and maybe a little of ooooooo

 mold

 

and dried up leaves and some more mold

 

and you lift it up and find more mold on your freshly painted door

 

This wreath was placed outside from December until July. It didn't show signs of mold until April. My personal opinion is that they should be okay for the winter months but when Jack Frost leaves take them inside. It looked beautiful January , February and March. Then I started noticing mold. If placed outside the dyes and mold could also  stain your door. These are recommended to be used out

INSIDE by manufacturers.

 

 .

Preserved Boxwood Wreaths need a spritz of water about once a month and they shouldn't be placed in direct sunlight because this will cause their leaves to turn brown. These wreaths are usually dyed to give them that beautiful green color and when the elements like humidity, rain, and dew gets on the leaves  moisture builds up and they mold and that green dye will end up on the door.

 

*1.How do I care for my dried and preserved florals? 

 The 3 worst enemies of preserved florals are direct sunlight, temperature extremes and humidity. Foliages will naturally  fade over time, but many people appreciate the subtle muting of colors and natural patina that time gives to florals. Dust that naturally accumulates on your arrangement can be removed with gentle rinsing, shake excess moisture and allow to air dry before re-displaying.  do not place it in direct sunlight, strong florescent or ultra violet light  and keep it out of excessive humidity. Fading may occur even  in ideal environments which often adds to the character and  beauty of your artwork. Preserved flowers and foliage contain internal dyes that could bleed under hot/freezing with high humidity conditions. Placing our indoor wreaths under covered porch in arid non-freezing conditions has been experimented by many individuals with great success , but these are designed for indoor use.          

*2. How do I store my wreath

   If you plan to store your wreath until the next season, please remember that prolonged exposure to high humidity will accelerate color bleeding. During periods of high humidity, the worst possible way to store drieds is in a closed box on  the basement floor. Elevate your storage area as much as possible and leave the box open whenever relative humidity is above 60%. Be sure to put a few moth balls, inside the carton to aid our built in pest control in keeping hunger bugs away .  

*3. How long will my wreath last

Depending on your environment most will last from 2-5 years, provided that they are kept properly maintained . We recommend that you keep wreaths of direct sun-light,  indoors, and away from humid conditions. We also recommend that you keep the dust from accumulating onto the wreath. You may do this gently rinse , mild shake excess moisture and allow to air dry before re-display or storage.  

 

*4. Is there a scent

There is a scent with product . Unfortunately for those whom like the scent it fades over a couple weeks as it cures . A few people have put wreath in warm dry place to speed curing and loss of scent.  . For those whom want to prolong the scent , re-hydration and humidity slows curing and prolongs the scent . Care again must be taken to watch for over hydration or humidity that will increase chances of bleeding or mold.  

*5. How do the colors change ?

The colors will develop a nice patina as they age . Most colors will become brighter when exposed to light . Our colors tend to far outlast the natural chlorophyll of the leaves thus they , when they first arrive , could be much darker than what is pictured . An indicator is that the color will become same shade or slightly lighter than the underside of the leaf as that it contains less chlorophyll . An example is visualizing holding a piece of red rock candy over a green leaf as compared to a gold leaf ( fully bleached ). The red will look dull and sort of maroon . Now hold it over a gold leaf and the red looks quite bright . Basil, purple and olive could appear much darker when first delivered . Better to picture the color they will turn in a couple weeks rather than have a customer disappointed later when color goes lighter than picture . Direct sun will lighten product quicker , but remove from direct sun when it reaches the desired shade .  As light bleaches the natural green out of a plant  ,like grass clippings or wheat , turning gold making several of our colors more true to pictures.  

source-Henderson Wreaths

 

etsy

 

etsy