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Do you trim away the excessive growth of invasive vining plants? I am sure you do if you live with wild grapevines, wisteria or honeysuckle. Do you stuff the trimmings into a plastic bag and send them away with the rest of your trash? Here is an idea for a great family project using those very same trimmings. Your kids and your fine feathered flying friends are going to love it, and it will last long after holiday decorations are stored away.
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According to legends and folklore that were told to me by my Welsh and Irish elders when I was growing up, the wreath was originally woven of whatever vine available and used to crown the heads of winners of races and other games played during community gatherings. So honored by having a winner's wreath placed upon his head, the champion would then give the wreath as a gift to his betrothed, proclaiming his affection, and she in turn would hang it upon her door so that any other suitors would know she was already spoken for. True or not, it is a nice beginning to our story of the wreath, an adornment for our homes that is no longer only associated with the holiday season. When I was growing up in eastern Kentucky in the 50's, my sunny summer days were spent exploring the mountain that was my family's extended back yard. I would pack a peanut butter sandwich, an apple, and a jar of ice water in a brown paper sack, and be on my merry way. It was there on the mountain side that I learned much about nature, including the habits of small wild critters, and the wonder of hidden blossoms. And what a treasure I found one day when I accidentally got all entangled in a grapevine. By the time I unwound myself from the tentacles of the vine, some of it had broken off the mother vine, and I found myself trying to rewind it around the branch of a tree. While I sat there and ate my lunch, a chipper little brown bird hopped upon the wound up grapevine and chattered away in my direction. I flicked him a crumb. He flew away. When I was ready to leave my grapevine, I smashed the unfinished sandwich against the wound vine, leaving peanut butter smeared and bread ensnared, wondering if the bird might eat it when I left. Later that afternoon as I wound my way home, I came again to the grapevine. A gathering of birds was happily sitting on the wound grapevine, pecking at the peanut butter and swinging in the breeze, while another little group nipped at the apple core on the ground where I had been sitting. 
That was many years ago, but I still like to surprise my critter friends with all natural vine wreaths stuffed full of peanut butter flavored suet and tasty seeds and grains. The bird feeder wreaths are very easy to make, if you have access to wisteria, grapevine, or honeysuckle. Wrap the vine in a circle, starting with 3 or 4 very long strands, all with uneven ends. After having made at least 2 wraps, separate a couple of the strands and loop them over a branch that you can see from your window, then wrap again. After the third wrap around, begin to wind the strands of vines around the circle that your wrapping has created. They don't have to be pulled tightly, but they do need to wrap several times around the circle. Once you get to the end of your strips of vines, begin to tuck one end at a time into the wound circle that you have made. Beauty is not necessary at this point, but the security of the end pieces is important. Voila'! You have created a wreath and attached it to a tree limb with very little effort. Now the fun part begins. Birds love raisins, cores from apples and pears, some like jams, leftover cooked cereal (oatmeal), dry cereal crumbs, grains, and any kind of nuts. Using a tasty peanut butter suet mixture to hold the seed mix onto your wound vine wreath, you will have given your fine feathered friends a tasty treat that will last for many winter days. Here is my peanut butter/suet/seed recipe, but I think most any combination that is healthy for birds will work: 2 cups shortening or drippings  1 cup peanut butter 1 cup oatmeal 1 cup bird seed Spread mixture around and onto wreath, and push extra nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, or any other edible into the suet mixture after it is on the wreath. It will be tacky enough to hold most small bits of food. If you are having trouble pushing the suet mixture into the wreath, simply work with it like clay, pushing the mixture in with your hands, and adding the seeds as you go. Be sure you leave space for little bird feet. They love to have a place to sit and swing while they enjoy your feast, but they don't like to get peanut butter on their toes. Your wreath will last several months, and will only need to be checked periodically. I only make one food wreath at a time, so that the food does not get old or spoil, but I might have more than one wreath in a designated tree. When the food wreath does get old it is easy enough to clip down, throw it away, and move on to the next wreath, which the birds are already used to. Gather your kids, your grandkids, or even your spouse and collect those trimmed vines. Create a gathering spot for all your colorful birds that need help finding food when snow is deep.  .
 | I am a retired high school art and humanities teacher. I grew up in the Appalachian mountains of southeast KY and now I live with my two rescued cats, Jazz and Daisy, in far western KY. I love daylilies and perennials, and thanks to my DG friends this year I am adding roses to my gardens.
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Subject: Nature Walk
Posted by Starzz (from Newcastle, ON) on December 15, 2007 at 11:31 PM:This is the path leading to where I have some wild grapevines growing..and a lot of other wild things..I think you call them weeds..LOL I must go collect some vines for wreaths..I never thought about using Wisteria..which I have growing on the Gazebo.
Taken this past summer. ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 16, 2007 at 1:31 AM: Starzz, this could never be mistaken for weeds. You have a beautiful place, thanks for sharing it. Glad you enjoyed the article.
Sharon ... Posted by Starzz (from Newcastle, ON) on December 16, 2007 at 8:45 AM: Thanks Sharon,
You have a lovely way of taking us into your story.
I admire your talent.
Cheers,
Carol ... Posted by rachierabbit (from Olympia, WA) on December 16, 2007 at 2:01 PM: Sharon,
I love your article. I will have to collect some of my honeysuckle vine!
Carol,
Your path is so inviting, I want to walk right in! Rachel ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 16, 2007 at 2:32 PM: Hi Rach, thank you!! Have fun with your vines.
...
Subject: You Rock!
Posted by daylilydaddy (from morehead, KY) on December 15, 2007 at 3:48 PM:Sharran,
I love this idea! I have grapevine,honeysuckle and the wisteria and I make wreathes all the time to give to friends,the goats and even made some ornaments for the tree this year. I love new projects and i will start on this one today. I have already, cut grapevine and american bittersweet and was wondering what else to do with it. I live deep in the woods and have wonderful birds here all the time and plant things just for them to eat. There is also a creek in front of my house they visit also. Now they will have feeder wreathes full of goodies to keep them here and make sure they stay nice and full. Thanks for sharing your great idea!
Geo ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 15, 2007 at 7:02 PM: George, so nice to hear from you, and I am glad to be able to contribute to your feathery friends. By the way, squirrels like it too!! I try to keep them occupied with corn in another spot. Sounds as if your Morehead home is lovely. I enjoy hearing about it.
Thank you for your kind words.
Sharon ... Posted by daylilydaddy (from morehead, KY) on December 28, 2007 at 6:21 PM: Hey! sharran
I am making another one today. I went out during a short rain break to cut more. I will send you a pic when its hung and filled. Thanks again for this great idea. Keep them coming!
Geo ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 28, 2007 at 6:23 PM: How nice of you, George!!!
You might like the next one coming up too, but it will be a month or so till it runs. I can't wait to see your pictures. ...
Subject: Lovely article!
Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on December 15, 2007 at 12:39 PM:Your writings of your childhood wanderings were a delight to read. Next time we're trimming back our wisteria, we'll think twice about taking them directly to the compost pile!!
Thanks :)
... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 15, 2007 at 2:39 PM: Thank you, Dea. Glad you liked it. It is pouring rain here today, but I can see cardinals flitting around on the feeder wreaths.
sharon ... Posted by melody (from Benton, KY) on December 15, 2007 at 4:06 PM: Great article! I enjoyed it tremendously.
Still hanging in here, but about to crawl out of my skin. ... Posted by Bettypauze (from Victoria Harbour, ON) on December 15, 2007 at 6:36 PM: Shar..you are holding out on us..what a knack for writting you have! So did enjoy it...in fact, as soon as the family leave this evening or early morning I'll sit and ponder and visualize a glimpse of your youth... ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 15, 2007 at 7:00 PM: Hi, Mel....great to hear from you! Thanks.
And Betty, lots more mountain stories where this one came from. Thank you for your kind words.
sharon ... Posted by soapwort243 (from South Milwaukee, WI) on December 15, 2007 at 11:27 PM: I love your ideas and recipe. I have access to wild grape vines. Thanks for the good ideas and great article! I really enjoyed. ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 16, 2007 at 1:32 AM: thank you, soapwort, so glad you liked it.
sharon ... Posted by ceeadsalaskazone3 (from Seward, AK) on December 16, 2007 at 3:55 AM: Shar, finally, someone mentioned shortening or drippings, my sister uses lard. She used to use rendered and solid trimmings from the butcher, but it wasn't pliable enough and spoiled sooner in the warmer times, also peanut butter, corn meal, oat meal and thistle seed along with the cheap wild bird seed and spreads some in large pine cones, which she has me tying the fat end with monofiliment for hanging. We need some more large cones, about grapefruit size are the best, but we only have small spruce and hemlock cones. I don't remember where we got them, but most of them have disintegrated over the years. I'm going to use the trimmings off of willow furniture to make wreaths like yours for Ava's porch. Thanks, another hobby for me. lol
Carol ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 16, 2007 at 9:53 AM: Carol, that's what you need, another project!
I also like lard for this project, much better than anything else, birds like it better too, I think.
I am glad you liked the article, and happy that Ava might approve.
sharon ... Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on December 16, 2007 at 4:39 PM: Sharon, thank you for a lovely article about spreading our garden bounty to our feathered friends. Well done!
Yokwe,
Shari ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 16, 2007 at 4:42 PM: Nice to hear from you Shari, thank you. ...
Subject: For the Birds!
Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on December 15, 2007 at 11:26 AM:Hi Sharran! This is really for the birds. These wreaths are not just cute contrivances that people find decorative, but may be clumsy or unpalatable for our feathered friends. What an inovative idea for attracting birds into the garden. We don't get snow here but my dogs being dive-bombed by cardinals is sign that winter is here in Alabama. ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 15, 2007 at 12:23 PM: Thanks, Gloria.
Your words remind me of the mockingbird that continually dive bombs my cat in the summer. Think I should put a "no mockingbirds allowed" sign on my wreaths?
sharon ... Posted by lizrainey (from San Mateo, CA) on December 15, 2007 at 1:03 PM: shar, lovely article fil has a grapevine im going to gather some for our birds but i bet the squirels go after it lol ... Posted by prettylady24 (from Calhoun, KY) on December 15, 2007 at 1:33 PM: Hi Sharran...What a wonderful article and pics... I am from W KY ... I have done this with the grapevine but now I will save the wisteria and do it also for all my lil visitors... I love all my birds and critters and try to take care of them all year long...
Peggy ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 15, 2007 at 2:42 PM: Hi, Peggy,
Where in WKY are you from? It is fun to feed the birds this way, it also gets strange looks from the neighbors until they figure it out! Thanks for your comments.
Sharon
OOPS, Liz....nice to hear from you, too. Yep, the squirrels do go for it. I just try to keep them fed in another corner of the garden. Thank you!
This message was edited Dec 15, 2007 5:04 PM ... Posted by cat64129 (from Rich Hill, MO) on December 15, 2007 at 8:03 PM: What a super idea! I have wisteria and honeysuckle. Gotta try this! ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on December 15, 2007 at 11:16 PM: Thanks, cat....glad you enjoyed. ...
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