Creating Your Own Holiday Designs

Let the decorating begin...

Corkscrew Willow

Golden Curls Willow

The season's first offerings...
The garden center is cleared, cleaned and ready for action.
First to be displayed? The dogwood and willow branches
that add height, color and structure to our containers and
window boxes of mixed greens.

Rose Hips

West Coast Cedar

Winterberry

Juniper

Mixed West Coast Greens

Native White Pine

Yellow Twig Dogwood

Noble Fir

Red Twig Dogwood

Boxwood

A special thanks to Corliss Bros. Nursery & Garden Center of Ipswich, MA for these fine examples of holiday greens... fresh, fragrant and ready for the nimble fingers of those backyard gardeners among us, with a certain flair for creating their own seasonal decorations. Though it's true that thrifty, wily gardeners will clip sprigs of evergreens and berries from the backyard, often the quality, variety and quantity available at garden centers, tempts us into augmenting our own sometimes meager stock.

From prime west coast greens to native materials, chances are your local garden center is ready with a wide variety of greens to spark your imagination. The long, colorful branches of red and yellow twig dogwoods are perfect for lending color and structure to large, empty pots - just avoid terracotta, ceramic or non-draining containers which would break or sustain damage, over the course of the winter. Whiskey barrels, fiberglass and many heavy-grade plastic pots (maybe those that held annuals last summer) are usually ideal for a winter-long display. Dogwood stems, cut a bit smaller, brighten up window boxes and hay rack planters. These colorful stems are handsome alone, or combined with graceful evergreen boughs.

Of course, needled evergreens like those pictured above, are wonderful for filling window boxes, rounding out mixed displays or fashioned into garland, roping, swags and wreaths. Combine these with broadleaved evergreens, like boxwood or holly, for a textural design. Add a few sprigs of rose hips or winterberry for an eye-catching bright note. Remember, handled properly, many of these items are utilized indoors in seasonal arrangements. To preserve the moisture within these greens, many can be sprayed with an anti-desiccant, such as Wilt Pruf®, whether displayed indoors or out.

Why all this interest in holiday greens? Most of us begin our holiday decorating outdoors, so it's logical to begin the discussion with the greens. But, it's not just about Christmas, or holidays, in general. While it's true that such hand-crafted decorations add warmth and cheer to both invited guests and passers-by, it's all about sharing these elements throughout the often dull winter season. Long after the holiday season is but a memory, you'll be enjoying the results of your handiwork... here's to a well-decorated winter!

©Deb Lambert 2008
Photos: ©Deb Lambert 2008/©CBI 2008