A Christmas Wreath for Wildlife

November 15, 2021 1487

The Simon King Wreath Nester is our number one new gift for Christmas this year. This unique nester is designed, first and foremost, as a sanctuary for the smaller birds visiting your garden this winter. Birds such as robins, wrens, and the tits, who need somewhere sheltered to escape the wind and the rain, and somewhere to keep warm on frosty nights. All they need to do is hop inside, to take advantage of the waterproof liner and cosy, tucked away space.

Find out more about how the Wreath Nester can help garden birds from Simon himself in this video:

The perfect Christmas wreath for wildlife

But the Wreath Nester isn’t just for wildlife, it’s also for you if you’re a gardener, crafter, artist or you love floristry. The perfect Christmas craft project. That’s because the special wreath design allows you to decorate your Wreath Nester uniquely, using stunning evergreen foliage, eco-friendly or natural Christmas decorations. That way, you can hang it on a door, fence or wall in the run up to festivities and then place it somewhere secluded and quiet in your garden for the rest of the year for the birds. The natural decorations should stay green for a few weeks and will then naturally die off.

Come early spring, you can then carefully remove the foliage and redesign it as an Easter wreath before placing it back outside in the garden for any robins or wrens who might like to nest in it. However, do check before moving it to make sure nothing is using the wreath at that time as it may abandon the nest. It really is a year-round delight for birds and gardeners. And that’s why it’s our top gift this Christmas (for yourself!) or a loved one.

Shop the Simon King Wreath Nester >>

How to design your Simon King Wreath Nester

Looking for a little inspiration to help you personalise and decorate your new Simon King Wreath Nester? At this time of year, you’re looking for evergreen foliage. So, grab a pair of secateurs and take a walk round your garden. Look for a mixture of textures, colours, and thicknesses. Try to cut your foliage so that there is a decent length to the twig to make it easier to push into the wreath base. You can also try cutting it at an angle to give you a point to work with.

The very base of the Wreath Nester is made from natural brushwood with wire looped around the outside. You are able to affix foliage either by sticking it into the brushwood itself or using the wire and tucking it underneath.

It’s best to start around the very edge of the wreath and move inwards, beginning with the bushier evergreen foliage and saving the more flimsy or colourful stems for the centre. At regular intervals, lift up your wreath and examine it to make sure it is balanced. Here are some suggestions for the sort of greenery you could use at this time of year:

Base Layer: Spruce, fir, and any coniferous material
Mid/Thickening Layer: Holly, mature ivy with berries, bay, aucuba (spotted laurel), box, Mexican orange blossom, Portuguese laurel, and any glossy evergreen leaves.
Accent Foliage: Euonymus various, senecio, rosemary, variegated evergreens.
Berries and Flowers: Holly, rosehips, sloes, cotoneaster, Winter jasmine.

When you get towards your accent foliage, think about using this in odd numbers. Threes and fives work well together, rather than adding even numbers. Use as much colour as you can with red and black berries in abundance at the moment. The wreath will take more foliage than you realise and it’s a lovely fun project to do with family or friends and a warm glass of mulled wine!

What should I avoid using?

Try to avoid using any extra wire where possible. Or if you have to use wire to attach decorations, then ensure you have tucked the ends away carefully and nothing is sticking through the rattan which could injure birds using the nester. We would also advise avoiding plastic decorations and instead sticking with natural, biodegradable decorations as much as possible. After all, this is most importantly a vital roosting spot for garden birds.