Meet the Yorkshire gardener honouring his grandfather's legacy by running Christmas wreath-making workshops

Tony said that at this time of year he is always transported back to the image he has of his grandfather, who passed away seven years ago and was his inspiration.

“I remember going into the garage at grandma and granddad’s when I was a kid and I couldn’t see granddad because there were bases of wreaths everywhere. Then I would catch him behind a pile of them, pottering away.

“It was when I got a little bit older that I found an interest in how he made them. I would sit with him for a few hours at a time taking notice of what he was doing.

“Granddad taught me everything. He was 100 per cent my inspiration in wreath making. He made them for about 30 years and would supply all of the local florists. He would make around 1000 wreaths a year. It was his dying wish that I would carry on from him and in the last two years he was alive I had made them alongside him.

“I told him yes, that I’d certainly carry on and that I was grateful for what he had done for me. I love that he took the time to teach me and there isn’t a day goes by especially at this time of year when I don’t think about him and his smile.

Tony has now been making wreaths to order for 10 years.

“I do it the same way as he taught me, using bracken as the base and making them in batches. My granddad Ian was a gardener as well as being a wreath maker and my dad Andy is also a gardener. I’ve followed them both into gardening with my own business that sees me gardening for nine and a half month months of the year before wreath making.

“Dad and I go over to a farm pretty much in the middle of nowhere in the Yorkshire Dales to collect the bracken I use. The farmer, called Steve, has this massive hill which is covered in bracken and he’s quite happy for us to take the small amount I use. You wouldn’t realise we’d been there if you look at the hill.

“We’ve been popping up there for the past five years having originally met Steve in the pub, The Queen’s Arms, while we were having a weekend away in the village of Litton. It’s a really nice pub. We started chatting and the subject of bracken and wreaths somehow came up. Steve said he had sheep on the hill and that he couldn’t use the bracken for anything else.

“We are kind of recycling what he doesn’t want really. Steve just says to help ourselves. Myself and my dad go up there in our two vans and get as much as we can.

Tony said it is important to catch the bracken at the right time.

“It normally starts to go brown in mid-October, that’s when we need to pick it. Ideally, I need it when it is dry, otherwise it makes for a longer process. It’s like brown fern. I make the base out of bracken where others use moss. I use a metal ring and put the bracken straight on top. I’ve made 350 bases this year.

“Once I’ve got all the bracken I will just sit for a week or week and a half making bases from about the second week in November. Then I’ll start making up the wreaths that I have on order and that have to be delivered early in December. I still get my holly from my grandma’s garden.

The idea of running wreathmaking classes was Tony’s, it wasn’t something his grandfather had done.

“I started wreath making classes last year and had around 100 people with workshops at people’s houses and at my local cricket club in Barwick in Elmet where myself, my brother, my dad and granddad all played.

“All ages come. I’ve had a time when three generations of the same family have attended - grandma, mum and daughter. I’ve only ever had one man come along so far. Largely it’s ladies who want to have a nice night out doing something constructive for Christmas while having a bottle of Prosecco or wine or a coffee.

“I have everything ready. They start with the bracken base that I’ve already made and I demonstrate how to attach. They will green them up and create a colourful wreath. They’re taking all the glory.

“Some will bring their own stuff to decorate their wreath, but I assure them that everything I bring is more than enough. Every single wreath is different. Someone wanted willow on, so brought their own willow. Some want fairy lights.

Tony’s wreath making workshops are in big demand and he’s looking to expand as much as the short time frame for his season will allow.

“By December 9, my last night, I will have gone through 170 wreath bases made for the workshops in addition to the 200 I make for my own orders. I started the workshops this year on November 25 and I’ve only had two nights during that time when I’ve not had one – and one of those was because of a last-minute cancellation due to an unforeseen family circumstance.

“I’m receiving fabulous feedback. It looks like I will have to extend my dates a little next year to fit everyone in. There’s also definitely room to do more daytime workshops. It inspires you over what can be achieved and I still think about my granddad.