episode 202| show notes & advice
episode description
Christmas is one of the most joyous times of the year, and sustainability need not detract from that joy. With a little bit of forethought, we can all enjoy a colourful and creative celebration that respects our planet too.
Sarah is a passionate advocate for sustainability, so in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ she shares some of the most exciting, naturally sourced and low impact ways to decorate your home, festive table and tree, as well as a fantastic guide to creating your own compostable wreath.
In this episode, discover
- Sustainable ways to create a festive wreath using foraged branches, moss and flowers from the garden
- Whether real trees are a benefit to the environment over faux trees
- Highlights from the winter garden to create beautiful decorations for the table and tree
links and references
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Pots
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Veg
Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook | Sarah Raven
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Episode 202 advice sheet
Creating a sustainable wreath (4:30)
Re-using a wreath base makes for a more sustainable Christmas, but if you want to go a step further and use natural, biodegradable materials, start with what’s in your garden. If you’re fortunate enough to have pliable dogwood, silver birch or clematis, all of these can be fashioned to make great organic wreath bases.
Covering and padding the wreath can be done with moss, attached by biodegradable twine as opposed to wire, to create a perfect base for your floral decorations or evergreen accents to sit within.
Among Sarah’s favourite greenery for wreaths there are some standouts, namely evergreen rosemary, bay, magnolia grandiflora, tracheospermum jasminoides, viburnum, pittosporum and eucalyptus foliage.
Natural highlights to decorate your wreath include chrysanthemums, helleborus niger and helleborus maestro, and topping off every wreath should be the most luxurious ribbon possible – Sarah favours silk velvet.
Environmentally friendly Christmas trees (19:25)
While there’s continual debate around whether faux trees are a net positive or negative for sustainability at Christmas, re-using the tree should definitely be your first thought. That said, for those looking at real trees there are sustainable plantations, or you can do as Sarah has and look at getting a potted tree.
Decorating the tree can be done easily with straw flowers (heliochrysums) and Sarah also enjoys using lunaria annua seedheads, a reliable favourite for the time of year.
Alliums take centre stage too, with purple sensation and cristophii among Sarah’s favourites, and schubertii topping her tree.
Table toppers and present wrapping (26:45)
Atop the table, a big vase with dried honesty is a must-have for Sarah as a table centrepiece, alongside elegant dried grasses like briza maxima and chasmanthium latifolium. Wrapped in paper to store, these can be used year upon year.
When it comes to presents, every year we throw away wrapping paper that circles the globe 9 times over, so Sarah’s closing thought is one of alternatives. It needn’t be switched out for boring brown paper; wrap your gifts in beautiful fabrics which can easily be re-used for years to come.
