Simpson’s now have their Christmas wreaths in. I have bough exactly the same style for the front door as last year. I also found a reasonable one in Aldi and some additional small potted Christmas trees in Sainsbury’s to go on the Breakfast room patio.
Simpson’s have a good natural selection and several sizes. They range from £15 to £19.
One of the larger ones for the door. I usually save the bows and other decorations from the wreaths and use them the following year to decorate the outside lights.
These decorations were saved from last year’s wreath. The florist wire that attached them to the wreath is good enough to wrap around this outside fitting.
Wreath hung.
I think that I may need to go and clean the brass sign in the centre of the door.
I saw this one at Aldi, and as it is going under the porch at the side of the house, i thought the velvet bow would last very well. This one was around the £11 or £12 pounds mark.
Aldi wreath hung under the porch on the side door.
Under the light to the left, you can see the decorations from last year’s wreath that I saved and attached to it.
I got the last two Christmas trees from Sainsbury’s, £12 each. Though they are potted up from field grown, they seem to have a reasonable root mass for the size.
I don’t have any crocks for the bottom of the pots, so I usually make do with a small plastic tub and cut a few drain holes in them.
I used to top dress pots with grit. It may look neater and prevent splashing, but my preference is too see the compost and I actually quite like the pots to get a bit mucky looking.
My outside potting bench is a couple of old decorating trestles and some scaffolding boards. The good news is it is easily moveable. In the summer I usually have it in the Veg garden.
Both potted up and outside the breakfast room.
The one thing I do agree with is raising the pots so they don’t sit in water. I have always used old bricks. Sometimes I chop them to size. Also terracota plant feet are quite expensive and easily broken. You don’t worry with old bricks.
Looking towards the garden.
The view from the breakfast room.
I’ve now run out of outside containers to plant up. Probably for the best. Maybe, next year i’ll buy some additional ones.
The Old Vicarage B&B, Little Ouse 
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