Painted magnolia in a hose potGATHER MATERIALS:ContainerChicken wireClippersTapeMagnoliaPaintGlovesGreenery
How to Decorate a Container for the Holidays
December 15, 2009 By 7 Comments
How-to Decorate a Birdbath for the Holidays
December 14, 2009 By 12 Comments
- When it comes to decorating a birthbath for the Holidays, the best way is with water. Natural, fresh, unfrozen water is the best thing you can add to your birdbath. Fresh water for the wildlife is fashionable in any season.
Lucky for us at Helen’s Haven, we have 9 birdbaths, so turning one into a fabulous decoration for 3 weeks or so is fun, festive, and easy to do. We also find comfort in knowing our wildlife will not go without.
- A little of this and a little of that is all it takes to make a big impression…just using snips from the garden. If you don’t have the materials used here, regional substitutions are not only OK, it’s preferred!
- Oh yes, as always, the clippings from the bottom of the Christmas tree come in handy as filler.
- [Read more...]
Six Easy Pieces to Create Awesome Christmas Decorations
December 8, 2009 By 3 Comments
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Greenery conditioning prior to use
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The Wake Forest Garden Club invited\’a0me to speak at their December meeting about decorating for the holidays. \’a0 That was my only charge. \’a0I got to talk about anything on the subject, so I choose to base the topic on what was typically growing in our southern backyards.\
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Being a gardener, this will always be my bent. \’a0I’m not a florist. \’a0Using what is available in the garden rocks my world.\
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Walking around your garden, the neighborhood, or when visiting with friends, note the greenery, sticks, berries, pods and cones. \’a0With a little guidance, snips from these sources will decorate your home in no time.\
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Boxwood \
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Chamaecyparis \’91Golden Mop\’92 \
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Cryptomeria \’91Green Dragon \’92 \
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Deodar Cedar \
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English Ivy \
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Eucalyptus \
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Hemlock \
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Holly \’96 \’a0Nellie R. Stevens, Savannah, Winterberry\
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Hydrangea heads, dried \
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Juniper especially with Berries \
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Leyland Cypress\
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Ligustrum Berries\
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Magnolia\
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Nandina berries\
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Poet’s Laurel\
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Red and Yellow Twig Dogwood\
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Rose hips\
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Smilax\
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White Pine/needles and cones\
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Plus Cones, pods, seeds heads and\’a0Christmas tree cuttings \
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For the folks in Wake Forest, I made several arrangements \
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using very little variety. Yet, they were all different and \
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unique. Add in a little spray paint and what can be found \
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at the grocery store, and your designs can be complete \
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without ever tieing a bow.\
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Most of these types of decorations can be made with six \
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pieces or less.\
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- A base form or chicken wire formed to use as a floral frog.
- 1 – 3 Greenery
- Paint
- Cranberries
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Boxwood topiary
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The boxwood topiary uses clippings from an English boxwood and cranberries from the grocery store.\
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Birdbath
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Birdbath detail
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The birdbath uses ‘Winter Red’ holly, magnolia, Leyland, and Fraiser fur.\
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Painted magnolia detail
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The hose pot uses painted magnolia, unpainted magnolia, and Leyland.\
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So you see, little is needed to create awesome Christmas decorations. \’a0My next post will give step-by-steps instructions for creating each of these three designs\
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Shelia and others from the Wake Forest garden club, thank you for having me.\
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Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence\’99\
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Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend\’92s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence\’99 Face Book Fan Page.\
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Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum
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