A summer garland for good luck

From ancient tradition to contemporary style

In Scandinavia, towns and villages make decorations from flowers and plants for midsummer celebrations. They range from beautiful floral crowns, to the midsummer pole, and garlands to hang around the home. We've borrowed from the tradition to make a summer solstice garland for hanging in the home. The magical healing powers of these flowers and plants are said to bring happiness and good fortune for the rest of the year. Whether or not we believe in the midsummer rituals of the druids, beautiful greenery like this is bound to lift the spirits of your household.

Instant-gelukskrans Mooiwatplantendoen.nl

A simple summer garland with a bright, clear colour palette is a classic, attractive decoration. Follow our instructions to make one yourself, featuring your favourite seasonal plants and flowers.

You will need

  • A hula hoop or other round frame
  • Florist’s tape or metal wire
  • Various types of flowers and plants: we opted for: ivy, grevillea, jasmine, delphinium, lady’s mantle, ears of corn and grasses

How to make it

Begin by wrapping a base layer of plants around the hoop until the structure is no longer visible — ivy and grevillea are very suitable for this. Secure the plants with florist’s tape or metal wire. You can then decorate the garland with the additional flowers and plants, by fastening the stems to the structure with tape or wire.

Keep playing with your decorations until you’re satisfied with the result. The wreath does not have to be evenly covered all the way round. For example, we concentrated the foliage at the top of our garland.

Share a picture of your garland with us on Instagram using the hashtag #thejoyofplants — we'd love to see it!