When you adorn your home with a fresh Christmas wreath made of real evergreen boughs, you invite the fresh fragrances of nature into your memories, enriching them for the entire family. Of course, wreaths made out of real materials tend to need a little care in order to maximize their potential. A withered wreath for Christmas is no fun at all! Thankfully, there are several simple ways to care for your wreaths that will keep them fresh for the entire holiday season.

Keep It Moisturized

One of the most important steps in keeping a wreath lively and fragrant is preventing it from drying out. Spritzing the wreath with water every other day or so will help greatly, especially in warmer climates. Focus the spray towards the back of the boughs, rather than the needles as this will allow the ends to collect more water.

For a perky pick-me-up, you can lay the wreath down in a container with an inch or two of water. Again, make sure you lay it on its back so that the backs of the branches can have better access to the water. Wreaths kept outdoors in cool climates may not need to be watered this way.

Keep It Cool and Shaded

Before choosing a place to hang your Christmas wreath, consider whether it will be in the path of a direct source of heat or sunlight. These two things can drastically shorten the lifespan of a wreath. Sure, a fresh, bountiful wreath would look killer over the fireplace, but the heat from the flames will dry that wreath out like the tree in Christmas Vacation.

Direct sunlight is no friend to the foliage, either. They tend to burn the branches causing the needles to turn brown and dreary.

Keep It Ventilated

Maintaining a good flow of oxygen around the wreath with help keep the evergreen tips fresh for much longer. Because of this, wreaths tend to last much longer when kept on an outer door. If you want to have a wreath inside, say for a dinner or event, then storing the wreath outdoors before hand will ensure that it is fresh when it is needed.

Ventilation during storage is important as well. If the wreath is a gift or decor for an event, displaying it immediately might not be possible. It should be kept in a dark and cool place, with a plastic liner wrapped loosely around it. The liner keeps the moisture in while it’s in storage, but a liner that is too tight will encourage mildew.

Following these handy little tips can help keep the luxurious layers of balsam, cedar and white pine boughs of your Christmas wreath fresh as the day they were picked. You and your loved ones will have that much more time to smell the majestic forestry of Maine and for the rest of your lives, the slightest whiff of pine will bring you right back home.