With autumn in full glory, it’s time to take your baskets out into surrounding woodlands, roadsides and meadows — as well as your gardens and kitchens — for items that will serve in the enjoyable pastime of making wreathes.

As you can see from today’s photo, wreathes are not just for Christmastime, but year-round décor that can be changed according to the seasons. Thus, the first order of business is to find the base materials that make the wreath itself. Willow, alder, Red or Yellow Osier dogwood, honeysuckle, grapevines, and Virginia Creeper come to mind first, but supple-limbed evergreens, such as the firs, both red and white, are excellent for a seasonal wreath. You can also consider Pachystima (Mountain Lover/Oregon Box) and Oregon grape as well.

If you plan on a really large heavy wreath, as for the outdoors, consider purchasing a strong metal base available at area stores. These are best for holding heavy evergreen cuttings. Pick up some florist’s wire while you’re at it.

Gather all manner of “goodies” on your outdoor trek along with the basic evergreens — pine, fir, spruce, cedar that you’ll use for background. (A note of caution: Do NOT use hemlock for indoor wreathes: they shed copiously in the warmth). Pinecones of course, are a natural, from Ponderosa pines and spruce trees to tiny Hemlock clusters, coned alder twigs and “cone”-tipped cedar sprigs, all serve beautifully in a wreath. Too, watch for decorative additions — birch bark curls, small dried “conk” fungi, sturdy seed-heads and feathers — from turkey to pheasant to peacock! If you find an area with lots of old-man’s beard or witches’ hair hanging off branches, pull some loose to weave into your construction for an exotic touch (and creepy for Hallowe’en!)

After your woodsy outing, take a walk along your road and in your garden for further possibilities: Such ornamental s as Giant Allium, Sea Holly, Lavender and/or rosemary, Love-lies-Bleeding and cockscomb are all useful for varied inserts, scent and/or texture.

If you have an old-fashioned rose shrub, sprigs of clustered rose hips make lovely red inserts. Too, members of the everlasting family, such as Baby’s breath and Statice, are acceptable if they complement your arrangement, as are Oriental poppy, teasel, and other seed-heads. Tansy heads dry nicely and will keep voracious bugs off your wreath. (Leave sunflower heads in the garden, however, for those little winter birds to enjoy).

If you grew gourds, good for you — otherwise pick some up at local produce counters. I got mine at the final Farmers Market last week. Dried ad shellacked, they are a natural for your dining-room or kitchen wreath. Tiny pumpkins and small winter squashes will work for a while as well — at least through Thanksgiving; then remove them and replace with Christmas-time decorations — including favorite ornaments! For added color, add a whole pomegranate and/or one or two small clove-studded oranges or lemons (thick-skinned are best) –they will dry nicely in situ and make an attractive statement. Dried orange slices can also be used.

If you have a collection that can be incorporated into your wreath theme, show it off in a new way! Seashells, for instance, or tiny dolls or other special treasures can be incorporated beautifully into a wreath — enhanced perhaps, with netting, bows and/or other appropriate accessories.

Check out the kitchen for whole clove heads, dried chili peppers, little “logs” of cinnamon sticks, small net bags of whole cloves — all for scent as well as appearance. Buy a bag of cranberries and string them for a “necklace” to entwine in your wreath. Consider dried corncobs — colorful “Indian” corn and some of the curled dried leaves. Bouquets of dried herbs - thyme, rosemary, sage and dill heads are useful for beauty, while still being usable for cookery.

And don’t be afraid to purchase fake fruits, flowers and leaves if you can’t find the real thing. Look for quality and they will serve just fine. A cluster of purple grapes is a beautiful accent in a wreath, but to use real ones is out of the question.

Remember that you don’t have to cover the entire wreath base. Depending on the material you use, it’s often a vital part of the finished product’s beauty. Use a few items for a focal point and accent with pretty ribbon — as my old treasure pictured here — or design a hefty glorious swag that covers just half of the wreath for a stylish look. That said, however, a simple all-evergreen wreath thick with a variety of pine, fir, cedar and spruce with a few berries and a big red bow is pretty hard to beat.

While you’re at it, why not have a wreath-making party? What fun to gather friends or kids and seek out stuff in the woods, garden and kitchen and let everyone create their own individual treasures while enjoying cider and popcorn! Whatever you do, whether a single creation or group effort, take pictures of the finished results, pop them onto a flash drive and drop it off at the Bee in an envelope marked “Caroline/Valle” for later showing off in a special column!

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com or by phone at 208-265-4688.