Thursday, November 12, 2015

DECORATING WITH HOLIDAY GREENERY by Sharon Faircloth



The holidays are fast approaching and most of our colorful plants have sadly waned so here’s an idea for adding brightness and cheer to your porch or outdoor patios.  Use your container pots to decorate.  With little to no expense, you can turn those little bleak empty pots into really decorative displays!
Greenery can be purchased in bulk at your garden center or simply do a little creative pruning on your property.  Putting together different varieties of boughs give the display varied textures and color.  The great thing is that you can make them as simple or decorated as you wish.

Water your potting soil thoroughly before starting, again when you’re finished arranging and then as needed to assure the boughs stay fresh through the holiday season.  Arrange the boughs like you would flowers in a vase.  I put in quite a few different lengths and varieties to give it balance.
I added berries, leftover pine cones and a bow for a little color but I wanted mine more natural looking.  Faux branches with small lights, powered by batteries can be purchased for about $20 and illuminate about six hours a day.  The faux branches and dried ornamental pieces provide some height and they are movable so you make them look more natural.  I thought the arrangement looked really inviting next to my front door.
If you lean more to the Griswold Family Christmas, you can add sturdy ornaments, more lighting, more ribbon and glitz – pretty much anything goes!  You could also spray paint some dead foliage or grasses in bright colors or leave it completely natural.
After you’ve got the look you want, the only maintenance is making sure to keep the soil moist.  Too much direct sun will dry everything out faster and fade some types of dried decorations.  It’s also best placed out of the wind.  I put  mine together last year right after Thanksgiving and it lasted until it was time to put away all the holiday decorations.  This year, I’m thinking a group of several pots of different sizes would be nice and maybe more color!

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