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Tis
the season, and you can find all kinds of greenery in your
own back yard or landscape to use and preserve in holiday
wreaths, roping, and arrangements. Just remember that gathering
these greens means that you'll be pruning a living thing,
so take care and practice proper cutting techniques when you
do.
But
you need not stick with only greens, as you can use a number
of flowering plants you can use to give your home a festive
seasonal cheer.
Broad-leaf
Evergreens
Nothing
can beat the look of real leafy greens scattered around
the house and in arrangements. Below you'll find those typically
used, and, perhaps, a few you may not have considered.
Boxwoods:
for small bushy foliage, nothing can beat the American
or English boxwood for traditional holiday decorations.
Their dark green, small-leafed foliage lends that special
homey touch to any home.
Hollies:
used during the holidays for so many years, hollies have
become a wonderful symbol of the season. Don't forget
to look for both green and variegated varieties, as well
as those bearing the contrast of red berries, such as
Foster Holly.
Pyracantha:
though sometimes difficult to arrange because of its thorny
branches, the berries alone make it worth the effort.
Be sure to use it for wreaths hung high or other "out
of the way" decorations , away from inquisitive children
or pets.
Skimmia:
this attractive shrub offers a little different look.
It has beautiful green foliage and, on the female plant,
clusters of vivid red berries.
Magnolia:
look for the smaller varieties, like Little
Gem, which are particularly useful. Little Gem
has all the same characteristics as the typical southern
magnolia, only it is much smaller in both leaf size and
shape, making it ideal for combining with other plants
and flowers in an arrangement.
Camellia:
you can use camellias in arrangements or on
their own. Their glossy leaf, and sometimes even the flower,
add a beautiful touch to any arrangement.
Heavenly
Bamboo (Nandina Domestica): with its
berries, this evergreen can add some real drama and texture
to a display.
NOTE:
To prolong the decorating life of your cut broad leaf evergreen,
keep it in a cool location and away from direct light. For
arrangements, either immerse the cut ends in water or place
them in an oasis, which you should keep moist.
Needle
Evergreens
Nothing
can beat the aroma of real needle evergreens decorating
your house in December. Use a variety of those listed below
for interesting changes in texture and color or as the consistent
or complimentary element to your other decorations.
Yews: you can use
all varieties inside during the holidays. Just be careful
of the berries; they are poisonous.
Hemlocks:
the Carolina Hemlock variety has needles that lie
flat and sometimes small cones along its branch for an
attractive combination in a wreath.
Junipers:
look for varieties with a silver blue foliage, such as
Moonglow, as an alternate to the traditional green.
Pines:
the greens from these trees are the traditional choice
for roping and wreaths.
Firs:
branches from these trees make nice short needled greens.
Cedars:
beyond adding wonderful texture to your arrangements, the
fragrance from these greens, especially the Cedar of Lebanon
(Incense Cedar) can't be beat.
Remember,
as you take these greens for your holiday decorations, you
are, in fact, pruning a living thing, so take care and practice
proper cutting techniques.
NOTE:
To prolong the decorating life of your cut needle evergreens,
try to keep them away from heating vents and dry, blowing
air in general. You can slow their decline by spritzing
them with water every couple of days.
Flowering
Plants
As
beautiful as greens can be around the house, you can brighten
your decorations with a number of plants that flower in
the winter (beyond the typical Poinsettia).
Gloxinias:
these low fleshy leafed plants have small trumpet-shaped
flowers in purples, whites ,and pinks. They will bloom
from Thanksgiving until Christmas if properly cared for.
Give them bright, indirect light and keep them moist by
watering from the base.
Kalanchoe:
a small succulent-type plant, kalanchoe has small red
flowers and is very drought tolerant. Give it bright,
indirect light and water it when the soil's surface feels
dry to the touch.
Ornamental
Cherry and Ornamental Pepper:
want to add a real conversation piece to your
decorations? These plants will do that while giving you
long bloom times. As with the kalanchoe, the cherry and
pepper plants need bright indirect light and watering
once the soil feels dry.
Rieger
Begonia: this unusual plant somewhat resembles
the tuberous begonias found in many gardens. Its winter
blooms range in color from white to orange and red.
Amaryllis:
a beautiful, tall flowering holiday season plant, the
amaryllis has a large puffy head and comes in white, pinks,
and oranges. Give this plant a lot of light while keeping
the soil somewhat dry.
Pansies:
these pretty plants with their colorful flowers look great
in a nice container or as a fill around the base of a
large indoor tree. When the holiday season ends, you can
plant them outside for winter color next year.
Kales:
these colorful leaves also make good container or filler
plants. Like pansies, you can plant them outside after the
holiday season.
NOTE:
As an alternate to winter-blooming flowers, you could
purchase perennials still in bloom, such as Scaboisa
or Lobelia. Plant them in a nice container and keep
them inside, in a sunny location, until you can plant them
outside in Spring.
As
you can see, you've got a wide variety of flowering plants
and beautiful greens to decorate your home with this holiday
season. Enjoy!
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