How to make a simple, edible wreath

This delightful, simple, outdoor wreath comes courtesy of Elaine and Julia at the Ashbourne Road and District Allotments in Derbyshire, which opens for the National Garden Scheme. Most of the ingredients can be found in your garden or allotment, and you can adapt it to suit what you have close to hand.

You will need:

A large raw potato that fits into the palm of your hand (about 4 inches x 3 inches / 7.5 to 10cm)
A metal skewer (or similar implement which make holes)
A piece of garden wire – about 12 inches (30cm) in length
Sprigs of bay leaves
Sprigs of rosemary
Approx 12 orange or lemon slices dried and wired
Approx 12 chillies dried and wired
A pair of sharp secateurs

How to make your wreath:

Holding the potato lengthways, carefully, using the skewer, make a hole from one side of the potato to the other – about 1/3 of the way down it. Turn the skewer round and round to make a hole in the potato.

Remove the skewer and thread the garden wire into the made hole.

Cross the ends of the wire over each other and wrap around each end to ‘fasten them together’.

Now cut off sprigs of bay from the tree at a sharp angle each stem being about 8 inches in length. Push each sprig in round the circumference of the potato leaving a gap between each. Cutting the sprigs at an angle will make it easier to go into the potato.

Now do the same again in the next circle on the potato with more sprigs of shorter bay or sprigs of sage and rosemary!

Make sure that none of the potato base can be seen.

Wire some dried slices of fruit together and wire into the centre of the wreath either into the sprigs or directly into the potato. Add dried chillies too (being careful to wash your hands after use).

Hang outside where the potato will not rot!

After use, remove the bay leaves and rosemary and dry for future use.