Over the last two weeks we have hugely enjoyed seeing lots of amazing tutorials and advice being given by some of the industries’ experts especially during the RHS Chelsea Show last week. Here at EMFD we have also been getting creative in the garden and wanted to share with you our step by step guide to make your own summer flower garland, using the flowers in your garden. We’d love to see your results, so make sure to tag us in your pictures if you give it a try, and let us know if you have any questions! 

• Go into the garden and look for a flower that is open but not blown, nor in tight bud so that it doesn’t fall apart whilst you are working with it – we have chosen a beautiful, perfumed rose with a full, peony-style flower.

• Find some foliage (a climber would be ideal as it is really quick and easy to work with). I am working with winter jasmine here – this is one of my favourite scents and, added to the garden rose is pure heaven! 
• Once you have your flowers and foliage ready, you need to make sure you have all the right ingredients to make your garland – fine silver wire, stub wire or firm reel wire, gutta tape and strong scissors or secateurs.  You can get wire and gutta tape from your local florist or garden centre but if you can’t find the ‘proper’ stuff just improvise with what you do have.

• Take two of the wires and put them together, end to end to create one long piece of wire.  Twist the two ends together where they join so it is firm 
• Take the gutta tape and break off a long piece.  Holding the wires in one hand start to wrap the tape around the wire from the top to the bottom - The trick here is to twist the wire not the tape!

• Now take the newly created long piece of wire and bend it around your head to find out the length you need.  Where the two wires meet, twist them around each other so you know where the join will be when making your garland 
• Remove from your head and straighten out the wires making a hook where the two pieces met to remind you where to stop and to make it easier to wear later.
• You are now ready to start adding your flowers!
• Take the jasmine, ideally a fairly long bushy piece as this will save time and effort. Holding the top of the jasmine against the wire starting at one end. Take the gutta tape and wrap it around the jasmine stem, fixing it to the wire. Keep doing this (you don’t have to do it along the full length of wire as long as it is enough to hold the jasmine reasonably firmly to the piece of wire.
• Once the wire is covered with the jasmine you are ready to add the roses.
• Take the first rose, preferably not the largest of the best because remember this is going to be placed at the back of the garland and will not be a focal point.  Cut the stem very short so it is just below the calyx. This will allow you to bend the flower into position more easily.  Taking the silver wire, cut the end into a slant so it is pointed.  Piece the bulbous calyx of the rose with the pointed end of the wire and push it through to the other side so the rose could be suspended upside down if you were just to hold the wires and let the flower head go.

• Take the stub wire and push it straight into the neck of the rose so it disappears up into the head. This is your substitute stem which you can then attach to the garland.
• Wrap the ends of the silver wire around the calyx of the rose and onto the wire stem so the head is now attached to the wire.
• Using the gutta tape, wrap the neck of the rose and the wire so they are encased in the tape.  This will keep the moisture in and stop the silver wire glinting in the light.

• Once your rose has its wire stem in place you can add it to the garland, twisting the rose wire around the circlet wire to hold it still.  Try not to catch too much foliage in with it when you are doing this as it will make the circlet lumpy and less attractive 
• Keep adding roses until you are happy with your circlet.  It is now ready to wear!  Enjoy…