ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996                   TAG: 9607090006
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: D-1  EDITION: METRO 

LIVING WREATHS THEY ADD NEW EXCITEMENT AND TASTE TO AN OLD CONCEPT IN DECORATING

WREATHS have been with us for centuries, but they really haven't been anything to get excited about ... until now. They no longer have to be the wall/door decoration that just hangs around, aging, collecting dust and falling apart.

Thanks to a just-published book by a California horticulturist, the wreath has taken on new life - literally. "The Living Wreath" by Teddy Colbert outlines in great detail how you can do something she's been doing for over two decades - create living, growing wreaths that last for years.

Colbert's wreaths use a core of soil within a round wire frame that is covered with sphagnum moss and wrapped with wire or fishing line. This sturdy base creates a planting bed for seeds, small seedlings or succulent cuttings.

The wreaths can be used indoors as well as outdoors, hanging onto interior walls or over the hearth or lying flat on their sides with candles in the middle. These living circles can be created for any climate, year-round or seasonal. And they don't always have to be just something to look at. Yummy things like cherry tomatoes and strawberries will flourish, as well speciality lettuce, herbs and heathy things such as alfalfa sprouts. The possibilities are limited only by the imagination.

Living wreaths will grow anywhere plants can grow and are easy to maintain. They are especially ideal for those with limited growing space or for gardeners with limited mobility.

And anyone can make them, Colbert says.

Colbert, who in addition to being a trained horticulturist is a former contributing garden writer for the Los Angeles Times, perfected the living wreaths through 20 years of experimentation in her own botanical garden and studio.

Her wreaths have proven to be enduring. One has lasted for over 12 years.

Colbert's book contains step-by-step instructions and vivid color photographs to guide veteran or neophyte gardeners in making their own wreaths.

For information about where you may find "The Living Wreath" ($19.95) call (800) 748-5439.

LENGTH: Short :   49 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  Photos by Chad Slattery from "The Living Wreath." 1. A 
          living wreath of impatients is in full bloom. 2. A living wreath 
          made of cherry tomatoes
          pleases the eye and the palate as well. color.