McLean Nursery is getting ready for a great Christmas decorating season! Hundreds of fluffy festive bows hang from the workshop ceiling and the ‘elves’ are busy making the many wreaths and boxwood trees that are destined to adorn the halls of some lucky customers. And those customers come back year after year because they know they’ll take home freshly made green wreaths, boxwood trees, and DIY Christmas decorating “arrangements” that will last them weeks at a reasonable price.
Handcrafted with added embellishments with selections of berries and assorted holly, and other distinctive greens, each wreath is unique and distinctive. The bright berry selections are created by a small team, the decoration is done by someone who has an eye for what looks good together, and the bow is added at the end: ‘It takes a village!’
How do they do it?
On a recent sunny afternoon I visited the nine-acre farm called McLean Nurseries in Parkville, Maryland, to get my annual inspiration to “deck the halls with boughs of holly.” A bunch of happy people (and a dog!) packed into a cozy shed full of Christmas decorations was my way of getting into the spirit. You know it’s time to start decorating when McLean’s is heating up.
Busy working on dozens of wreaths, bows and pickaxes, everyone had a specific job to do. Highlighted by the use of the beautiful variety of holly leaves and berries grown on site, McLean customizes and creates to order exactly what the customer wants. Even if the customer can’t decide, there are unique, freshly made wreaths lining the walls of the greenhouse to choose from. If you’ve ever had a faux wreath adorn your front door, your conversion to a new one comes quickly as you look at the dizzying variety of wreaths and arrangements and smell the air.
Christmas tradition
A Christmas tradition dating back centuries, the Celts of pre-Christian Ireland and England used holly widely, decorating their homes during the winter solstice. Druids thought hollies had mystical powers. Considered a powerful symbol of fertility and an amulet to ward off witches and bad luck, holly was often planted near houses for this reason. McLean Nurseries in Parkville, Maryland has a lot of different varieties of holly planted around the property, so you should just have good luck there.
By propagating cuttings in cold frames, thousands of hollies are grown and sold in McLean each year. McLean’s busiest time of year is Christmas, where hundreds of noble fir wreaths are decorated for the public and churches. A large nursery that keeps a low profile, McLean has introduced many new cultivars to the trade that are widely used today and have achieved “Holly of the Year” status.
Buying vegetables and berries in big box stores is the most convenient way for many to buy freshly cut vegetables for garnish. But I find that store-bought vegetables have already been exposed to the sun for several weeks, are cut weeks in advance, and become dry and brittle even before I bring them home.
For that reason, I make the 20-minute trip down a suburban street where McLean Nursery’s greenhouses and fields of growing holly are located, to buy something they cut that morning. You can’t get it fresher!
Making deconstructed crowns
Wreath making is serious business in McLean. Starting with a base of Noble Fir, adding different varieties of greens, including the much-loved holly, are layered to create a lush looking wreath. Inserting “picked” greens into the base allows you to mix and match all the different colors and textures in one wreath. No hot glue is used. Labor-intensive handwork makes McLean wreaths beautiful and special.
McLean workers use an old-fashioned picking machine that secures a metal pin around a stem of foliage to make it easier to insert into the base. I have one of these hard to find gadgets and it’s nifty for making mixed flower selections quickly and efficiently.
Wreaths range in size from 14″ to a huge wreath that can measure 36″ or more for large walls and doors. Green holly, variegated holly, winterberry, incense cedar, blueberry juniper, magnolia, andromeda, boxwood and false cypress are inserted with the help of spikes. Details such as pineapples, fruits and other pods are then connected. Room is left for a beautiful bow on the crown, with the customer’s selected bow connected as the finishing touch.
Put a bow on it!
The tape is like the icing on the cake. A wide, wired ribbon with large looped bows and luxurious tails is essential for a wreath to stand out from the crowd. Red is a favorite, but gold lives up to its popularity. Last year the popular tape was a homemade tape with red trucks and I still see it being popular. But anything with red or plaid is always popular.
Order one
If you would like to order your own handmade wreath or decorate your halls with fresh greens, drive to 9000 Satyr Hill Rd, in Parkville, Maryland, before Christmas, or call 410-882-6714. Wreaths, ornaments, boxwoods, centerpieces and greenery are all reasonably priced and guaranteed to create an instant festive touch in your home. Tell them Claire Jones sent you!
