The Journal

From the bench and the woods

Notes on sizing, the greens, fundraising, and care — written from the bench in the Northeast Kingdom.

Sizing · 6 min

How to choose a wreath size for a Vermont farmhouse door

A wreath should cover roughly two-thirds of the visible door. Here is how to read a Vermont farmhouse door and pick the size that reads full without crowding it.

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The Greens · 7 min

Why balsam is cut after frost

Balsam cut before the hard frost will drop its needle before Christmas. Cut after, it holds for weeks. The frost is the preservative — here is why.

Fundraising · 8 min

Running a church wreath fundraiser without a paper nightmare

A wreath fundraiser should not mean a clipboard and a spreadsheet that never balances. Here is how to run one with a digital sheet, drop-shipping, and a profit snapshot.

Care · 6 min

How to keep a shipped wreath fragrant through Epiphany

A frost-cut balsam wreath will hold its scent for weeks in the right conditions. Here is how to receive a box, fluff it, and keep it fragrant to Epiphany.