Holiday Decorating from the Garden

Color ranks high on the beauty scale as leaves turn red and gold and berries blush orange and crimson while roadsides become a palette of nature’s pigments. For your Thanksgiving horn of plenty, a walk through the woods or your own backyard should provide all the decorations you should need.

Goldenrod, wild daisies and black-eyed Susans that bedeck the roadways should all be hung upside down to dry. Gather pine cones, bare branches, nuts, acorns, berries and cat tails. All of these items can be dried in cool, dark places. Be sure to spray with clear acrylic to keep them intact. Late-blooming hydrangeas can also be used for fall or winter decorations. They can be used either dry or fresh in arrangements. Dry rose buds in waterless containers or hang upside down. All of these items will look fabulous in your holiday arrangements. For fall, the natural colors look great when added to groupings of pomegranates or gourds. Pumpkins are not just for eating—they make a great centerpiece when surrounded by all your dried goods or fresh cut greens. Pyracanthus, a lovely cut green with orangey, red berries, makes a festive addition to any holiday centerpiece.

As Christmas time approaches, a few changes will occur in your method of preparation. Get a large bucket that will hold water and fill it with cuttings from evergreens. These cuttings from pines, hollies, yew, cedar and magnolia must all be conditioned in water for a few days outside after cutting. This will increase their “lastability” in your arrangements, whether it be in vases, wreaths, wire chains or just tucked here and there for color and scent. Make a table runner with cut greens and red berries from ardesia or nandina bushes. These cuttings should be seasoned as well. Another tip: add a little Sprite or 7-up to the cutting water to add staying power. Your Christmas tree will drink it up and last longer in thanks!

Citrus, out of your yard or the grocery bins, looks great mixed with holiday greens. Lemons and oranges give pine a fresh look and a great smell. Stick lots of clove bits in an orange and use as an accent piece in an arrangement or hang them on the tree with ribbon as an ornament. Apples also are great for making a centerpiece shaped like a cone. Use toothpicks to hold together as you build the shape in a beautiful bowl and then fill the gaps in between with your conditioned greens. Add nuts and berries that you have sprayed with shiny acrylic. Don’t be afraid to get out the gold and silver acrylic to add sparkle to the Christmas table. The leftover fall cuttings with a touch of gilded spray make great filler at Yule time.

Get the whole family involved in holiday decorating. Talent will evolve and expression will be the real gift of living, learning and working together. The memories will be a lasting reward long after the decorations have gone away! Happy holidays to all.