Trim an overgrown hemlock tree on your property and use the clippings to make a decorative wreath for your front door this holiday season. Once you have finished the project, the hemlock tree will look well-groomed and the wreath that you have created will give the exterior of your home a festive appearance.

Materials

• ladder
• work gloves
• pruning shears
• basket
• water
• anti-wilt spray
• towel
• scissors
• floral wire
• wreath form
• decorative berries
• ribbon
• self-adhesive hook

Trim The Branches On The Hemlock Tree

Set up a ladder next to the hemlock tree. Use a pair of pruning shears to clip long branches. Cut each branch back so that it is even with a bud or a side branch on the tree. By completing the cuts in this way, the end of each branch will not be susceptible to permanent damage and will have a better chance of growing back in a healthy manner. Make sure that each clipping is long enough so that it can be used on the wreath. Place all of the clippings in a basket when you are finished.

Clean, Sort, And Spray The Clippings

Rinse the clippings off with water to remove dirt from their surface. Lay them on a towel to dry. Sort through the clippings to find ones that you would like to place on the wreath. Apply an even layer of anti-wilt spray to the surface of each clipping. This type of spray is sold by landscaping businesses. It will help keep each clipping a rich, green color and will prevent the pieces from becoming limp.

Hold a handful of the clippings in your hand and twist a piece of floral wire around the end of them several times until they are secure. Insert the bunch of clippings in between the metal pieces that make up the wreath form. Use another piece of floral wire to secure them to the form. Wrap the wire tightly around the bunch of clippings and the frame several times until the bunch is stabilized. Continue attaching bunches of clippings in between the metal pieces of the wreath form until it is filled in completely.

Trim The Clippings And Attach Embellishments

Use a pair of scissors to trim the end of each clipping so that all of the pieces blend well together and give the wreath a full appearance. Attach decorative berries that are connected to pieces of wire to the wreath by twisting them around various portions of the wreath form. Cut a piece of decorative ribbon and form a bow around the wreath with it. Hang the wreath from a self-adhesive hook on the front door to your home. Enjoy the beauty of the wreath throughout the holiday season.

For more information about tree trimming, contact the professionals at J&T Tree Co.