Holiday Decorating From Your Garden
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| Photo Credit: Sarah L. Ivy |
| Use the basal branches off your fresh Christmas tree to decorate your mantle or flower arrangements. |
When we were newlyweds, my husband and I received the classic household hand-me-downs by way of furniture, dishes and even Christmas decorations. Granted, my mother gave me a few of the “good ornaments,” but I was left with mostly what I had made in kindergarten to grace my tree.
Four years have passed, and I’ve since been inspired to add to our holiday decorating décor. Last winter I heard a speaker discuss decorating the home for the holidays by using existing plants in the landscape. It really got me thinking about how to spruce up our home for the season without spending much money. Here are a few inexpensive decorating ideas and tips for your home, too: - Use greenery cut from the base of your live Christmas tree to create centerpieces and accent floral arrangements. I’ve often used some of this greenery around our Advent wreath, but I don’t light the candles unless I’m right there to keep a close eye on it. (I like Johnny Cash as much as the next gal, but I don’t want a burnin’ ring of fire at my house on Christmas!)
| Add Photo to Journal |  HolidayCandle.jpg | | Photo Credit: Sarah L. Ivy | | Snip a little off your favorite Nandina to spice up sweet-smelling candles at the holidays. |
- Use greenery from your landscape plants to accent mantles, tables and other arrangements. Many of your favorite landscape plants can be cut and used to bring holiday cheer, including holly boughs with berries, pine tree branches and cones, magnolias, Leyland cypress, Scotch broom and ivy, as well as other evergreen trees and shrubs. Be creative! If you’re willing to cut it, it’s got potential for holiday decorating.
- Take your cuttings in the morning. Fortunately for me, my son is my human alarm clock, so I’m up in plenty of time to get out and start snipping. (If you’re cutting plants like ivy, the stems may also benefit from being soaked in water overnight to avoid drying out.) Remember that when you cut greenery, there’s a living plant left behind. So don’t just hack at your shrubs and trees willy-nilly. Try to make clean cuts that leave the plant looking just as nice as before you took your pruners to it.
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| Warnings |
- In addition to mistletoe, other poisonous holiday berries include those found on hollies, yews, ivy, Jerusalem cherry, bittersweet and crown of thorns. Be sure to keep these – and all other – toxic plants away from children and pets!
- Anytime you bring in plant material from outdoors, you run the risk of bringing in insects and other unwanted critters. Although there isn’t as much insect activity during winter, be sure to inspect your cuttings before bringing them inside so you don’t have any uninvited guests to your holiday dinner!
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| Tips |
- If you don’t get a live tree for the holidays and don’t have an outdoor evergreen of your own to snip, stop by a tree lot and ask for some leftover branches cut from trees they’ve sold.
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| Tools |
- Always use a good pair of pruners when making your cuts. By using bypass pruners (where one blade bypasses the other), you’ll make a sharper cut and do less damage to the plant. (Remember to make your cuts with the bypassing blade toward the plant.)
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| Definitions |
- Bract: A modified leaf. In the case of poinsettias, the colorful parts of the plant – often mistaken for flowers – are actually bracts. (Poinsettia flowers are actually small, yellow and fairly inconspicuous.)
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An Elegant Christmas Tree
Deodar cedar is an attractive tree that grows well in a container. During most of the year it can decorate your patio, but bring it indoors for the holidays and watch your Christmas turn merry and bright!
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Ho, Ho, Ho-liday Plants
It’s time to deck the halls with holiday flowering plants. From the traditional poinsettia to the exotic-looking Christmas cactus, these blooming beauties are sure to bring your home plenty of good cheer!
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