Scratching Your Herbal Lifestyle Itch
Getting into a Crafting Community of Practice (Holiday Wreaths)
Our herbal cheat sheet, which all our readers and subscribers receive for free, spans all the topics which characterize an herbal lifestyle. The list consists of nineteen topics which span the areas of interest, and practice, which our farm guests and students have been drawn to, over 20+ years.
One grouping of topics addresses the historical significance of herbal wellness, while another addresses careers at living history museums, or careers which require formal certifications. If we look at the communities of practice, we find many topics which catch our interests and encourage us to get more involved… i.e. to sign up for a workshop, for instance.
For a small price, we can sign up for, let’s say, a crafting workshop. This step into the actual practice of making something, say a Christmas wreath, allows us to 1. Learn, 2. Connect with others who share our interest and 3. Walk away with a craft item that we made.
One of my favorite workshop topics are handmade crafts that we can use to decorate our home. Have you ever said to yourself, “I wish I could make that $120 holiday wreath, rather than buying it”?
Wreath-making always draws a strong crafting set of sign-ups. Especially when the wreaths have an herbal component such as an all lavender wreath. Note: you can use purple, pink and white lavender cultivars to turn out some unique arrangements. The other type of herbal wreath that I really like, combines different herbs to connote a kitchen and cooking-oriented wreath.
But, when we look at the best examples of holiday wreaths, we have an amazing variety of herbal, fruit-laden and other wreath components which truly astound us. I am referring to the wreaths turned out by the crew at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.
Colonial Williamsburg is the largest and best known of all the living history museums in North America, from the best of my knowledge. There you can find a world of “lost and endangered arts” from the 18th century. The site is large and well set up for fabulous family vacations, at any time of year. But, if you're lucky enough to visit during the Christmas holiday season then get ready to enter a Disneyland-like venue that will be a treasured memory for your kids as well as any adolescents and adults in your clan!









Let me share my pictures from our visit there, and give you one tip. Check out the Williamsburg Wreathmaking Crafting book where you buy your books. It's a wonderful way to start scratching an herbal lifestyle itch!
Book Title: Christmas Decorations From Williamsburg