Meet the Yorkshire florist whose wreath-making classes have helped resurgence of a Christmas tradition

Alli is an event and wedding florist with a penchant for the rustic and rural style of wild flowers but in the past five years she said she has found a new niche with the continuing growth in popularity of the seasonal floral wreath.

“I’ve found that I love the teaching element, bringing people into my world and showing them how to create something just enough so that they know what they are doing and can then let their creative process take over.

“I’m very much a believer that something like floristry you don’t need a qualification to be able to do it. You’ve either got it or you haven’t.

“I went to Bishop Burton College and really flourished there under the tutelage of Claire Bowden, but floristry is really a bit of everything. It’s what you use, your colour combinations and you need an eye for design.

“It is crazy how busy the classes have become and what I really love is that you can have so many people in the Great Hall at Carlton Towers as last weekend and every wreath made is different in some way, despite everyone being given the same produce.”

Alli said she prefers a traditional wreath using natural products.

“I’m not one for putting a bauble on. You need a good moss as your base which will give the moisture for keeping the design going. The moss I’ve been using this year has come from Cornwall. Last year it was from Wales.

“As a result of the moss used in my classes the wreaths should last well into January.

“The main element after the moss is spruce, lots of it. I like to incorporate lots of foliage, whatever my suppliers have available, as I use many textures and shapes within the wreath. Eucalyptus for the scent is good.

“It makes the wreath memorable for its aroma. I like that just-picked look in all of my work, bringing out different combinations.

“The traditional Christmas wreath hasn’t changed much over hundreds of years, but people do like to add different things when they come to the classes.

“One lady put toy dinosaurs in hers one year and the other night she put in disco balls, but as a rule the wreath has remained pretty much the same in terms of its make-up.”

Alli said the spruce used comes largely from Denmark but that there is every attempt made for all elements to come from UK sources.

“I use fantastic suppliers such as Flowers From The Farm, which I try to use as much as I can, but my main suppliers other than those are The Flower Connection in Leeds who are particularly good at trying to source British flowers and floral elements from the UK.

“All florists are keen to foster UK usage as much as we can and I also have a supplier who owns a gardening company who can source some local spruce.”

Alli said that Christmas wreath-making has now become synonymous for some with the start of their yuletide festivities.

“There are many new people coming to the classes every year but there are also many who keep coming back. Certain workshops are now as much a social event where it is the same people purely because they enjoy getting together and making something in a group setting with me running around between them all. They have a drink and a mince pie and I certainly get my steps in.”

Last year, due to Covid, Alli and others involved with Christmas wreath-making workshops experienced a surge in DIY wreath-making kits.

Alli said that has continued this year but not at the same pace as 2020.

“We were all sending out kits with everything that was needed in the box including instructions. There has still been a bit of a surge this time but on the whole I think most prefer to experience it all first hand in class or workshop setting.

“I’ve been running the workshops at Carlton Manor for the past four years.

“It’s a stunning location. Everyone comes along in Christmas jumpers or something festive and it really does set the mood for the celebrations to come.

“The classes are all run during a fairly short period because everyone wants to get their wreath on their door. I start my classes in the last week of November and my last one is tomorrow. In that time, I might see and help up to 400 people at various locations including my own village hall.”

Alli said she will make some wreaths for others but it is not her main business and that weddings are still to be looked after during the same time.

“I’m more usually found up a ladder in a marquee or barn. Wild flowers have now become much more popular with so many weddings being held in barns and in the countryside.

“Often those brides are wanting a rustic style to complement the venue.

“I’ve always loved wild flowers and when people go looking for florists they find that there are those with particular styles. If someone came to me and asked for a tightly shaped all-round rose bouquet I’m perfectly capable, it’s just not my preferred style.

“Christmas wreaths fit right in there with what I do and what I like and it is great to see so many happy faces at the end of each session and how proud they all are of having created their own Christmas wreath.

“I have made a wreath this year for someone who couldn’t come to Carlton Towers and asked whether I would make one for them.”