Earthly Garden

Yesterday I mentioned getting my first poinsettia of the season. Today I want to talk about other living decorations for the holidays. Last year I found small live Christmas wreaths (about 6 to 10 inches across) and used them as centerpieces. I put a nice red candle in the center and decorated the greenery with small ribbons and tiny red glass balls. It looked pretty good if I do say so myself and cost a lot less than the large premade evergreen centerpieces you can buy. Another great decoration from Mother Nature is the pine cone. Place a handful in a pretty glass bowl with some glass balls and a few sprigs of greenery and you have a pretty centerpiece. You can also use a pretty vase with the same effect. Twigs and berries can also be used. Another idea is to tuck twigs and sprigs of greenery on a mantle and accent with pine cones. Ivy can also be used for wreaths and assorted decorations, and red and white roses and baby’s breath make gorgeous accompaniments. For a little fragrance, take an orange and cover it with cloves, then add a ribbon and hang. Fresh herbs and shiny red apples also add beauty and fragrance.

Don’t forget your houseplants! Large floor specimens can be decorated with small ornaments and even a string or two of tiny white or colored lights. I prefer white. Smaller plants can be grouped together and wrapped with a bow in the color of your choice. With a little creativity and help from the garden, you can have beautiful and natural Christmas decorations for your home!

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Got my first Poinsettia of the season yesterday. It’s gorgeous! Bright red and busy and it looks great sitting next to my tree (yes my Christmas tree is up already! It’s not real unfortunately, as there is a law against having a live Christmas tree in an apartment) but its lovely! While most people think of Poinsettia when look for plants to give or decorate for the holidays, there are several other plants that were just made for the holidays as well!

Christmas Cactus- Prized for their blooms, which come in shades of red, pink, and purple, they get their name from the time of year they bloom. To insure the best blooms, don’t move them once they are brought home. Like the ficus, they hate being moved and will complain by shedding their buds and flowers. From spring to fall, keep moist, but in winter, allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Potted Christmas Trees- These usually come in two types-the small tabletop trees that come predecorated, and the large floor specimens. The larger ones are almost always Norfolk Island Pines. These plants make lovely holiday decorations and can be kept as houseplants afterwards, providing they get plenty of light (a south or west window is best) and regular misting to increase humidity. Keep the soil moist at all times. They will grow to a height of 5 to 6 feet, so be sure it has plenty of room!

The smaller tabletop varieties of potted trees are actually young specimens of a variety of pines. They will not do well as houseplants but if planted outdoors after the holidays will eventually grow into a lovely pine tree.

Amaryllis- This plant is prized for its showy blossoms. They grow from bulbs that have been forced and are usually bought in the sprouting stage. They prefer bright light and moist soil during their growing period. Once the flowers fade the plant will slowly head into dormancy. Let the pots slowly dry out, remove the old leaves, and let the bulbs rest in a cool place for 10 weeks or so. Repot 6-8 weeks before blossoming is desired.

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Tis the season to decorate for the holidays! If you are one of the thousands who prefer a live Christmas tree, or just love the smell of fresh pine boughs, garlands, centerpieces, or other greenery, here are some tips to keep them looking and smelling their best.

For maximum fragrance, look for Balsam firs. They are the ones most associated with the “Christmas Tree scent”. When purchasing a tree, look for one that is full and deep green. Run your hand along the needles. They should be pliable and firm. If they are brittle or brown, avoid. You also want to avoid trees that shower you in needs when the trunk end is tapped gently on the ground. Make sure the place you purchase your tree at cuts a slice off the trunk. This will allow the tree to take up water more efficiently.

One you get it home, get it set up in a stand as soon as possible. If you need to wait a day or so, place it in a cool dry place like a garage. Once your tree is up it’s important to give it fresh water everyday. There are Christmas tree preservatives available that you can add to the water, but the most important thing you can do for your tree is keep it watered. Trees dry out quickly in a heated home and this not only leads to messy needle drop but is a serious fire hazard. The majority of fires during the holiday season are Christmas tree related. To prevent, keep your tree watered, keep it away from heating vents, devices, and candles. Make sure the lights you use are UL approved and check them each year before use. Toss any that are frayed or showing signs of short circuiting-and never leave your tree lit while you are asleep or not home!

If you love to use fresh greenery around your home, the same rules apply. Mist it daily (unless it has lights on it, for obvious reasons!). Be careful when using greenery with candles, and keep away from curious pets and children. If you use live mistletoe, this is extremely important as mistletoe is poisonous if eaten!

Enjoy the fragrance and beauty that nature has to offer this holiday season!

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If you’re like me, you’re thrilled to see the stores filling up with pots of Poinsettias, Norfolk Island Pines, Christmas Cactus, fresh wreaths, garlands and centerpieces made of Balsam and fir, and more. There is just something about fresh holiday greenery. It just smells like Christmas!! I have a real problem with some of the Poinsettias I’ve been seeing though. Who had the bright idea of spraying the poor things with glitter? My husband and I saw some truly garish looking ones at the grocery store the other day and were horrified to discover they were real! Poinsettias are beautiful on their own. They come in rainbow of colors from the softest pink to the brightest red and deepest burgundy. They even come in beautiful winter white-which some misguided nurseries dye in all sorts of colors-I’ve seen blue, purple, orange and even yellow ones. Yuck! They don’t need to be covered in glitter or dye! I’m sure the glitter covered ones won’t last til Christmas because it seems to me all that junk would be very damaging to the plant-plants, like people, need to breathe, and they do so through their leaves. Lets send a message to the industry that these plants are beautiful all on their own and maybe they’ll leave them the way nature intended!

By the way, if you plan on buying some poinsettias for your home, give them lots of bright light, don’t let them dry out, and keep away from cold drafts and they will remain beautiful right into the new year! Do them a favor and remove the decorative wrappings from the pot. This will allow the soil to drain properly and avoid root rot.

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