Location: Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden (see below for directions and a map to the garden)
Date: Saturday, December 3
Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m.

REGISTER HERE

Turn your home into a cheerful winter workshop for the day as you create a beautiful conifer wreath with materials foraged and provided at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden.

We will take you on a tour of the garden to identify and view our native shrubs and forbs in a new artistic light. Find bright red stems of Woods’ rose, bunches of tawny bluebunch wheat grass, holly-like Oregon grape, and interesting forms and textures in sprigs of mountain mahogany, dried goldenrod, and round blanketflower seed heads. A bundle of sweet-smelling boughs and a bag containing the wreath frame, wire, ribbon, and hot cocoa will be waiting for you to take home with the rest of your collected materials.

After the tour, instructor Christine Morris will provide a step-by-step tutorial on how to build your wreath, attach pine cones or other decorations, and form bows from ribbon. You can practice or start your wreath at tables in the garden or begin at your home.

The garden tour + instruction will take 45 minutes.

Instructor: Christine Morris, naturalist and MNHC’s Community Programs Coordinator. Christine teaches the Montana Master Naturalist Course, the Certified Interpretive Guide Course, and has taught the annual wreath-making class since 2012.

If the weather is inclement, you may pick up your supplies at the garden and forego the tour and in-person instruction. Christine will include accent foliage for you and a link to an instructional video.

Materials Provided:

Conifer boughs
Florist’s paddle wire
Wire wreath frame
Ribbon
Cones
Accent foliage
Hot cocoa

Materials You Need:

Small hand-held pruners, clippers, or old scissors for cutting accent foliage at the garden and for trimming your boughs at home
Gloves can be helpful at times but are not required
Clothing and boots appropriate for potentially snowy, cold winter conditions at the garden
Masks when working close together depending on the current COVID conditions

COVID Precautions:

Outdoor program!
Small group sizes, instructors will give tours and demonstrations to groups of approximately 8 people.

Cost: $40 MNHC members, $45 non-members. You can add your MNHC membership to your order when you check out.

Register Here

Directions to the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden:

Head west on Third and turn left (south) onto Reserve. After ~1 mile, turn right on South Ave. Turn left on Old Fort Rd. (at the blue Hospital sign), go a few blocks to the T in the road and head right on Fort Missoula Road. Pass by the golf course until you get to a stop sign; keep going forward (the road kind of angles left) to the T in the road and take a left (onto H Rd). Drive to the end of this road and take a left, and you’ll see the garden and the white garden classroom with green trim ahead on your right. Basically, just head towards the big silver water tower—the garden is a little ways to the north and west of the water tower.

FAQs
What’s the refund policy?
The course fee (minus a 25% administrative fee) is refundable if a cancellation is made up to 7 days before the event. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline. Ticket is non-transferable to other events or programs. See our full refund/cancellation policy here.