Am I allowed to go picking bits of greenery for wreath ?

Davey2009

If you can't find a local gardener to ask go & buy a few pieces from a florist it will still work out cheaper than buyng a wreath.

Primrose

I think it's always better to ask first. Some years ago I was astonished to find a stranger chopping off huge swathes of golden variegated ivy from our front fence. When I asked her what she was doing, she said she wanted it to decorate the church for her daughter's wedding. When I asked her how she would feel if I turned up with a pair of seccateurs in her front garden and started hacking down plants in her garden I think she got the point!

ALIBOBSY

We went out today for a lovely walk with the kids over the crunchy frosty ground, and OH did a bit of foraging for some wreaths. Like the other poster said we live in a semi rural area and in under a minute I can be on miles and miles of countryside full of paths,trees, ponds and a river. This is public land near us and is full of holly, firs and many other trees (crab apples, sloes, damsons etc etc etc).
We took a couple of thin bendy branches from the garden bent into a circle and added our foraged bits with green garden string, never knew Oh was so artistic .
Added in a few pinecones and rosehips (no berries on any holly as it has been so mild here, but some rosehips,crabapples and rowen were still out).

I think as long as you are sensible and treat it like foraging, so don't damage the trees/bushes (and leave the baby trees alone), don't be greedy and spread your picking around I can't see anyone having a problem.
I think a flower in a park is different. I can't see anyone having an issue about the odd twigg being picked up in a park, but paid for cultivated flowers are another thing altogether. To be honest the area we live near is so quiet we walked from our house through a cut through past the back of about 4 houses and then we are there in miles of land. We walked for around an hour and a half altogether and didn't see a soul anywhere, not even a dog walker.
We had a few bits of greenery to make a small table centre and a couple of bits to hang around the front room as well as the small wreath, Kirstie eat your heart out.

ali x

But I would never touch someones garden or a tree or bush that looked like it had already been hacked at, sort of sensible use of the countryside whilst respecting it, like foraging of other types.

sethsgran

I agree with the suggestion to ask if it's ok. Also if you have a real christmas tree there will probably be some lower btanches you can snip off to help bulk it out. The church we attend has holly growing so I plan to ask the minister if I can clip 1 or 2 sprigs first. Thanks for pointing this out to everyone as I agree we can't just dive in and help ourselves. It infuriates me when I see mums of little ones letting their treasures help themselves to flowers etc. I have children and grandchildren and always explain to my little ones that it is there for all to enjoy.
I admire your openess and thoughtfulness as so many find it easy to help themselves

valk_scot

If you want quite a lot of fir branches, buy a Christmas tree and chop it up! Our local garden centre always has a few really cheap trees that are damaged or misshaped and they've always got a pile of trimmed off branches as well for sale.

If you want ivy then come to my house and I've got a wall covered with it that needs stripped off.

Miss_Behaving

Suzy_M wrote: »

If all you want is enough greenery for one wreath - just knock on someone's door and ask. Worked for us in the past and have ended up with the better quality stuff from the back gardens and on one occasion had a Landrover tour of someone's farm!

I second this approach. We have a huge ball of mistletoe in a tree in our front garden and this time of year get lots of people knocking on the door asking to take some. I'm always happy for them to take some as they've had the courtesy to ask.

Bunny82

I went out last week to a park with a PCSO office at its entrance and nabbed a few bit of evergreen and didn't get stopped. In fact, I even had a nice chat with a PCSO, showed her my bag of goodies and mentioned I was making my own Christmas decorations this year - she didn't even bat an eyelid!

As long as you don't go hacking huge branches off trees, I'm sure you'll be ok. Common sense is the key, as with most things.

unluckychappie

I have no problem if somebody asks for some holly or ivy. I would happy help them by using my long handled pruner. There are far too many berries for the local bird population to handle. Most of the fruit go rotten.

Chased a couple of pensioners off for helping themselves to next door's damsons once. Stand up argument with them quoting ancient foraging rights. Turns out one was a parish councillor! Not for much longer, me thinks.