Gardening Topic for November 2004
Holiday Decorations From the Garden

Provided by the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association
www.wmassmastergardeners.org.

Gardeners have a plentiful, beautiful and creative source for holiday decorations waiting in their gardens, woods and meadows.  Using collected branches, seeds, plants and leaves extends the garden’s bounty into the late autumn and early winter holiday season.  And it may perhaps even bring the sense of calm and serenity we feel in our gardens to an often hectic time of year.

The keys to using these materials are timing and a careful eye.  Begin soon by taking advantage of a clear and brisk November day to begin your hunt for materials.  Collect pinecones, leaves, acorns, nuts, dried seed pods, freeze-dried flowers, birch bark that has fallen from the tree, or any other small items that will soon be covered with snow.  Cut dried grasses or prune vines (be careful it’s not poisonous!); trim out crossed branches or waterspouts (which will need to be pruned out later) from trees and save the branches.  Look for sheets of moss (leaving pieces of it for next spring) or check the woods for bird’s nests which have fallen out of the trees in the November wind.  There may be feathers or even part of a broken egg still in the nest.  Store your collected items in a cool, dry space away from direct sun or light.

More ideas for natural decorations can be found by clicking on:

http://beaver.extension.psu.edu/horticulture/MGnewsletters/MG-SummerNaturalDecor.html

Decorating how-tos and tips for preserving natural materials are found at:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/articles/misc/holiday.html

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/monthlytips/december/notedecm.html

Scout out evergreens for cutting by Thanksgiving; cut and store the greenery in a cool and moist area. All evergreens will benefit from having their cut ends in water while broadleaf evergreens require it.  

Remember to ask permission to cut evergreens on property that is not your own and respect the law by not collecting in protected areas such as city, state or national parks.

Instructions for wreaths, roping and table arrangements can be found by clicking:

http://www.uvm.edu/extension/publications/oh/oh38.htm

How to select holiday greenery is explained by clicking on:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets2/landsnurs/dec93pr2.html

How to use holiday greenery can be accessed by clicking on:

http://hcs.osu.edu/wgn/wgn12300.html

This is an excellent time to prune many evergreens with the added bonus of using the clippings for your holiday decorations.  In general, trim broadleaf evergreens sparingly and use these cuttings for accents.  Other evergreens have specific pruning guidelines.  Note these guidelines before pruning.

Although this fact sheet is from Virginia, it is included here as it still provides an easy and general overview of when and how to prune specific evergreens.  Click on:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/nursery/430-461/430-461.html

Additionally, fact sheets with illustrations and more instructions on how to prune evergreens can be found by clicking on any of the following:

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/evergreens.html

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/nursery/430-457/430-457.html

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07205.html

Don’t overlook groundcovers in your search for holiday decorations.  English ivy, pachysandra or creeping euonymus can add to the variety of textures and colors in your decorations.

Garden containers can also be recycled to hold and display your holiday decorations. Weather-proof pots can be created from ordinary plastic nursery pots.  Craft stores stock a wide variety of faux finishes that can give a plastic pot the look of a stone or clay “urn”.  Trays, vases, baskets or other tag-sale finds can be covered with moss, bark, twigs or acorns.  Simply gluing found materials on a container can create a stunning new covering that will compliment and enhance your other decorations.

A few more decorating tips:

*Find inspiration in your collected materials, from family and friends, in magazines, books, or holiday shops.

*Don’t hesitate to try something new or different.  You can always change it!

*In general your arrangements should extend 1 ½ - 2 times the height of the container.

*Groupings of odd numbers (3,5.7 etc.) are generally more pleasing than even numbered groupings.

*Rope or raffia can be substituted for ribbon for a more “natural” look

*Check out your local arts and crafts store for glitter, small mirrors or other items to add some sparkle to your decorations.

*Topiaries can be easily made by inserting and gluing a foam ball (or floral foam for fresh items) to a branch.  Short pieces of greenery, herbs, or other materials are pushed into this ball or foam to create the topiary “ball”.  Remember the finished topiary ball will be much larger than the foam base.  Be sure to size the base container so that the overall design will not be “top-heavy”.  Place the other end of the branch into the base container with a piece of foam glued to the bottom.  A layer of gravel is placed on top of this foam for stability.  Potting soil or sand can then be placed on top of the gravel.  A layer of moss or other decorative items can top it off.

*A couple other sources of inspiration used for this article:

Treasures form the Earth by Kathy Lamancusa, Krause Publications, 1998

Christmas Decorations from Williamsburg  by Susan Hight Rountree, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1991, 2000

*Lastly, the most important tip…… Have Fun!

For other articles, check out our archives

Provided by the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association
www.wmassmastergardeners.org.