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I use the term weeds rather loosely, including in that classification the foliage, seed pods, and cones of wild flowers and trees as well as common weeds.

Early in the spring, before the last snow melts, I begin my weed-foraging excursions. Sometimes these are special weed-picking trips. More often they are family outings, with a "try-for-fish" or outdoor picnic the main event of the day. I just tuck a box or basket into the trunk of the car so it is always on hand when I see some weeds just waiting to be picked. My weed-picking excursions last through the summer and on into late fall. In between trips I paint my weeds and make them into wreaths for florists, table decorations for restaurants and window displays for local shops.

A WEED must have several characteristics before it qualifies for my collection. First, the stem must be sturdy when dry. Second, the seed pod must be firmly fastened to the stem after the weed ripens. Third, the weed must be fairly easy to work with.

I used the trial and error method of picking weeds until I became familiar with the traits of each variety. The first year I found it necessary to throw away quite a number of weeds because the seed pods and leaves fell off, leaving the stem bare. I have learned by experience, though, and each weed I pick now is put to some use.

Sand-bar willow is the first weed I pick in the spring. It grows to a height of four or five feet, has leaves similar to a willow tree and is found along roadside ditches and in old pasture lands. The seed pod of the sand-bar willow is the bushy top of the shrub. On closer examination you will see that it consists of small, flower-shaped sprigs growing close together on the stem. Winter snow and wind don't bother this sturdy weed a bit. In fact, it seems to make the stems stronger. I usually pick the tops of the plant with about eight to ten inches of stem, tie them in bundles and store them in attic or basement until I am ready to use them.

THE TYPE of weeds available for spring picking is partly determined by the part of the country in which you live. Indian tobacco, shell weed, teasel and several varieties of swamp grass are typical Wisconsin weeds which grow in large quantities near my home and are available for early spring picking.

Some weeds are tougher if they are picked when still green and are allowed to dry slowly. Statice (sometimes called chickweed), a small, wiry plant with tiny, round leaves, is an example of this type. It grows around vacant lots, deserted yards, along the edges of sidewalks and in fields which haven't been tilled for a long time. I always watch the patches of statice carefully to detect the perfect time for picking. When the weather is rainy the plant grows larger and stays green longer. As a rule, though, the last of June or the middle of July will find the tiny statice leaves full and green, just right to be picked. If the plant is allowed to ripen in the ground, the leaves will fall off when the plant is dry.

Statice is a very important plant in my hobby work. It makes a good base for wreaths, a lacy filler for wreath clusters and a good background for bouquets or window displays. It is easy to paint and easy to work with. I consider it the most useful and most beautiful weed of all the varieties I collect. One caution about picking statice: always leave a few plants in each patch for seed. This will assure you a good supply for the next season.

Peppergrass, a tall, bushy plant with heart-shaped seed pods, is another plant which should be picked while still green. Peppergrass grows in old hay meadows or in pastures and is often found near patches of statice. It should be bunched and stored the same as statice.

Cat-tail buds should be picked early in the season when they are about the size of a lead pencil. I pick them with a fairly long stem, dip the buds in alcohol to prevent fuzzing and store them in boxes until I am ready to use them.

Daisies grow in great variety near my home. In the fall the petals fall off and the seeds shake out, leaving a small, fuzzy ball, pretty in bouquets or wreath clusters.

Ruscus and crinklebush are two weeds with very tough leaves. They are best when picked after the first frost because the leaves seem more pliable then. Both weeds make good fillers for wreaths and good background foliage for window displays.

I always pick a good supply of lycopodium in the fall. Lycopodium is a small, evergreen plant that grows near swampy land. The plants stay green a long time and can be used either fresh or painted.

Early in November I collect several baskets of pine cones. If there is a lot of pitch on them I spread them out on the ground in our yard and let the weather clean them for me. Alternate days of rain, sun, snow and wind will remove most of the pitch and leave the cones much easier to work with.

In some states wholesale houses offer a good market for cones. In Wisconsin, the conservation department supplies them so inexpensively that very few are purchased from private collectors. Boy Scouts and 4-H members collect the cones for the conservation department. The department removes the seeds to be used in the nurseries and then sells the empty cones to floral wholesalers. I find it the best policy to pick just the amount I need for my own use.

PAINTING WEEDS is an art in itself, with originality the key note. I use every color of paint available and mix as many different shades as I can. The more combinations of colored weeds you have to work with, the more beautiful finished wreath or bouquet you will have.

There are several different ways to paint weeds. A small, glass, hand-sprayer will do a good job but is somewhat harder to use than a power-sprayer. If you can obtain a power-sprayer, well and good. They do a good job and save a lot of time and energy. If your budget is limited, however, there is another item on the market which will do an equally good job of painting. It is the paint-bomb. Paint-bombs are available in twelve different colors and are quite reasonably priced if purchased by the case. They are easy to work with and waste very little paint. When a small nozzle on the top of the can is pushed down, the paint comes out in a fine spray. The nozzle must be cleaned thoroughly after each usage so the paint doesn't get clogged in the small opening.

I use all three methods of painting my weeds. I use the paint-bombs and the small, hand-sprayer for small bunches of weeds or touch-up jobs. When I have a large amount of painting to do, I use the power-sprayer.

Enamel is the basic paint for all my work. It is bright and colorful, doesn't crumble off the weeds when dry and isn't affected by sun or rain. I always thin the enamel down with turpentine or paint thinner. I mix it thoroughly and then strain through a cheesecloth. It only takes the smallest particle of hardened paint to clog the paint-sprayer. Straining the paint is a messy chore, but it saves lots of time and patience, later.

I like to paint my weeds out of doors, on a clear day with very little wind. I place the weeds in a cardboard box and paint quite a few of them the same color at the same time. I turn them several times so all sides are coated with the paint. After the weeds are painted, I spread them out on newspapers to dry in the sun. If I do not plan to use them immediately, I store them in large boxes to prevent soiling and crushing.

ABOUT SIXTY percent of my weeds are made into wreaths. When I first approached our local florist, Mrs. N. Qualle, for some information concerning the making and selling of wreaths, she said, "I am only too glad to help you get started. As soon as the wreaths you make are saleable, I will handle them for you."

Of course, my first wreaths were amateurish but with Mrs. Qualle's help I was soon turning out professional looking wreaths. And what was better, I was selling them, too.

At present, I furnish all the wreaths for Mrs. Qualle's year-'round business. I also sell wreaths to several other florists in near-by communities. They like to get wreaths from someone near at hand because they don't have to order so early and can always get extras on short notice. I know my regular customers depend on me so I try to give them the quickest and most dependable service I can.

In the spring I also receive many orders for wreaths from local variety and gift stores, for their Memorial Day trade. I also keep a special collection of wreaths on hand at all times for the customers who come directly to my home to shop.

TO ME, making wreaths is fun. First I make a circle out of a willow switch and fasten it with a piece of wire. The circle should be four inches smaller than the size of the wreath you are going to make. Next, I pad the circle with swamp moss to a thickness of two inches. Tie the moss padding in several places to make it firm. Finally I wrap the whole circle with green wax paper. This is the wreath form.

I use two kinds of weeds for the body of the wreath. Take a small clump of weeds, fasten them to a small wooden stick or round toothpick and insert the stick firmly into the moss padded circle. Make the first row on the outside of the circle to get a nice, round shape. Then fill in over the top and into the inside of the circle. Leave a small, empty spot on the wreath form for the cluster of the wreath. The cluster of the wreath should be the center of attraction. I combine as many colors and as many varieties of weeds as possible to make the cluster, which is formed like a flower arrangement. I use a large pine cone or bow of plastic ribbon for the center. Then I work outward, using seed pods and pine cones to resemble flowers, and filling in around them with fine foliage, such as statice or lycopodium.

I always try to make each wreath different and original. Last year I made some patriotic wreaths in red, white and blue and found them to be a very popular item. I also made some wreaths out of natural oak leaves and used acorns for clusters, and again proved it pays to be original.

The wreaths are packed in boxes for delivery. Small wreaths, such as the dime stores order, are packed six to a box. Large wreaths are packed in individual boxes. Boxes can be purchased at box factories for about 8 cents each. I make most of mine. I get large packing cases from my hardware dealer and cut them down to the size I need. Then I fold them and staple the corners. The hardware dealer is glad to give them to me because he would only burn them up, anyhow.

The prices of my wreaths vary from $1 to $15. The dime stores sell the less expensive ones and the florists handle the more expensive ones. Some of my wreaths are sold on the consignment basis and others are sold outright. My profits are larger if I deal on consignment but I use whichever method my customer prefers.

TABLE ARRANGEMENTS are easy to make when a good supply of foliage is available. I always reserve my best specimens of weeds, seed pods and cones for decorating banquet tables. The stems of the weeds should be as long as possible so they can be trimmed to fit the space they fill in the table arrangement. Cones should be sorted according to color variation, size and shape. I usually pick green oak and maple leaves before the first frost. They should be placed between newspapers to dry with a fairly heavy weight on them to prevent curling. I also pick a good assortment of maple leaves after the first frost has colored them brilliant hues of red, orange and yellow. The color of the frozen leaves can be preserved for some time by sprinkling a few shavings of paraffin on the leaf and pressing with a warm iron. I find it a good idea to have a supply of the weeds and seed pods painted in suitable colors for almost any occasion and ready for immediate use.

In the vicinity of my home, Gilman, Wisconsin, banquets are usually held for some particular reason, most often near holidays. When I have table decorating work for a banquet I always keep three things in mind: season, reason, and "pleasin'."

In the early fall I decorated the tables for a bankers association banquet. First I placed a flower stem-holder in a leaf-shaped vase. Next I arranged long-stemmed swamp grasses in the holder in a sort of fan shape. The seed heads of the grass had been tipped with a bit of paint in typical fall colors: bright red, orange and yellow; and they drooped a bit as though blown by the wind. I placed a few pencil cat-tails among the grasses. Their rich, brown color added to the fall effect I wished to achieve. The tables were formed in a U shape so one arrangement was placed on each side of the U and one arrangement was placed in the center near the speaker's place. I scattered colorful maple leaves along the center of the tables in wind-blown formation; the final fall touch to my simple but attractive table arrangement.

Christmas banquet tables are always easy to decorate because the supply of wild foliage for Christmas decorating is almost unlimited. The bright green of ground pine; the wholesome smell and fresh color of new-cut balsam and spruce boughs; the rich, brown color of the various pine cones and the bright red holly berries and green holly leaves all tend to make Christmas decorating easy, colorful and fun.

I usually varnish the pine cones I use for table decorating. It gives them a glossy shine which makes them more attractive and preserves their original brown coloring.

The main arrangements for a Christmas banquet table are made much the same as any other. A piece of birch log can be used to serve as a vase. Just bore holes in it with a brace and bit, to serve as stem holders. Fasten a small cone and several holly berries to a small sprig of evergreen with a bright red or green ribbon. Pin a small, gold-colored safety-pin on a not too inconspicuous place on the ribbon. Scatter these miniature corsages along the center of the tables between the main arrangements. The guests will probably enjoy wearing them after the banquet is over.

DECORATING SHOP windows is similar to table decorating with only one main difference. The table decoration should attract the eye to itself. The window decoration should be more of a background and attract the eye to the merchandise the shop features.

A little decorating trick can save a lot of time during the busy holiday season. Before starting the Christmas decorating, fasten a sturdy wire across the back part of a shop display window, The wire should be placed about three feet above the floor level. Below the wire put up a background suitable for New Year's. This could be pine cones fastened on wires to form the words "Happy New Year." Or perhaps just a vase or two of painted foliage against a background of shelf paper with the words "Greetings for the New Year" painted on it. Or do you have a more original idea? Next drape balsam boughs from the wire so they cover the New Year decoration. The boughs should be fastened quite securely to the wire with small pieces of wire or cord. Fasten pine cones, holly berries or other suitable Christmas decorations on the boughs. Now this is the trick. As the boughs dry out they will curve up in the opposite direction to which they are curved when fresh. By the time New Year's arrives the boughs should be curved up enough so the New Year decorations are visible. The Christmas decorations will now be behind the boughs and can remain there until the New Year season is over. The balsam boughs are suitable for either Christmas or New Year decorations.

It seems as though nature has a foliage suitable for most every occasion. For instance, what could be more suitable for Valentine decorations than the tall, stately peppergrass with its delicate heart-shaped leaves? Paint the leaves in different shades of red or pink and color the stems green. This is very striking when placed in a clear vase against a background of red, green or white. Chickweed with its tiny, oval-shaped leaves lends itself well for Easter decorations. The small leaves are firm and can be painted in many pastel shades. The sand-bar willow with its delicate, flower-shaped seed pods is perfect for May Day arrangements. No matter the season or reason, I find nature's foliage always "pleasin'."

A good method to get started in table decorating or window display work is to offer your services free of charge to various church organizations or clubs. Church dinners offer a good chance for table decorating. 4-H clubs usually have window displays for special occasions and will always welcome a helping hand. By doing someone else a good turn you can do yourself a good turn too. Prices for this kind of work vary according to amount of work and material needed, time of year and the budget of the customer of course.

SELLING WEEDS wholesale can be a profitable hobby in itself. If you don't like to paint, pick the weeds and foliage anyhow. Names and addresses of wholesale firms can be obtained from the telephone directory or from local dealers. Write for a price list and a market time list. A time list is especially important because certain types of materials are best when picked at certain times of the year. Local florists can give you quite a bit of the necessary information and may be in the market for some of the material as well.

I don't sell many of the weeds I collect because I use most of them in my wreath and decorating work. I have sold a few bunches of lycopodium to a local florist for 30 cents a pound, and a few pencil cat-tails for 2 cents each. A farmer near my home makes a nice income from a strip of so-called waste land by picking and selling the cat-tails, milkweed pods and swamp grass that grow there. Swamp moss is usually found on land of this kind too, and sells for about 25 cents a pound.

My whole family has become interested in weed-picking as a hobby. It is not a bit unusual for the children to come home from school with their arms full of weeds. My husband is an outdoor man and often brings home new varieties of weeds for me to try out.

One day last summer three neighbor girls went on a bicycle tour. They stopped by on their way home with three large armfuls of chickweed. They had spied it in the yard of a deserted farm and knew I would appreciate it.

A neighbor went hunting up north last fall and found a new kind of ground pine. He knew I would be interested so filled his pockets with all they would hold.