Location: Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden
Date: Saturday, December 4
Time: 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Registration will open on November 1st.

Turn your home into a cheerful winter workshop for the day as you create a beautiful conifer wreath.

A bundle of sweet-smelling boughs and a bag containing the wreath frame, wire, ribbon, and hot cocoa will be waiting for you at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden.

Take a guided tour of the garden, trimming from selected plants to add colorful accents to your wreath. You may want a sprig of red Wood’s rose, a spray of bluebunch wheatgrass, or a pop of dried goldenrod to add interest and texture. A short demonstration will follow the tour, teaching you how to build your wreath at home and how to identify our local conifer boughs by their needles and cones. This festive program brings thoughtful artistic attention to our native plants in winter. Learn how to identify a variety by their dried flowers, seed pods, and stems. Some plants like Oregon grape and mountain mahogany will have evergreen leaves you can tuck into your wreath. Enjoy the relaxing space at the Fort Missoula Native Plant Garden as you gather materials, chat with friends, and build a homemade wreath with a story to tell.

The garden tour instruction will take 30-45 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 coca
Materials You Need:

Hand-held small 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
COVID Precautions:

Outdoor program!
Please wear a mask when working closely together. Staff will wear masks when instructing.
Small group sizes, instructors will give tours and demonstrations to groups of approximately 8 people.
Cost: $45 MNHC members, $50 non-members. You can add your MNHC membership to your order when you check out.

Registration will open November 1st.

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.

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