Winter Interest Under Way For Umstead Hotel and Spa

In the winter, the garden is often thought of as the pause season until spring returns; an interruption in the time when a garden can be beautiful.  Often, the winter season isn’t based on the solstice, but rather, from first to last frost; too long a pause not to plan for the season.

With the fine weather we experience from the Triangle to the coast, we have the potential to garden year round.  No snow to compete with, we can add to the landscape so that our gardens can be just as interesting in winter as they are in spring, summer or fall.  What you do in winter, will also enhance other season’s appeal.

Even with a professional design, the winter interest aspects are often overlooked.  It’s never too late to evaluate your garden’s winter appeal.

The Umstead Hotel and Spa, in Cary, NC, recently did just that.  Landscape designer, Suzanne Edney, of Custom Landscapes, Inc., was brought in to evaluate and add winter interest elements to the 6 acres surrounding the Five Star hotel.

“My mission was to give a ‘sense of place’ by using cultivars and ornamentals that have characteristics of North Carolina plants,” says Suzanne.  Working directly with Ann Goodnight, Suzanne evaluated and added to the existing design.  What Suzanne found was many of the plants used in the original design were deciduous perennials, therefore, the landscape looked bare from December to April.  Suzanne’s design added to the ground plane and broke up a single plane of plantings.

This sense of place is an important factor for hotels of this caliber. As Suzanne explained, “When you arrive at The Umstead Hotel and Spa, you want to know that your are in NC, not in Italy or Miami or some other place.”

Plum yew, juniper, and Hellebores were some of the ground covers used in the design along with boulders to fill voids while giving the eye a restful place to pause.  Grasses were added to give movement, evergreen vines, perennials and shrubs such as Clematis Armandii, poet’s laurel, Fatsia, roof iris, Spirea, and Deodara Cedar were added for winter interest and to add rhythm to the design.

Implantation of the design began this fall and will continue through the winter.  It will be most interesting to visit often during this time to see how the transformation progresses.

Now and after the holidays is a great time to evaluate your winter landscape.  Plan on making your winter more interesting with plants and other elements such as boulders, benches, or accents.  You too will be enjoying your garden all winter long.

FOR MORE WINTER INTEREST

The JC Raulston Arboretum hosts an annual A Walk in the Winter Garden program in February each year.  Enjoy a winter garden themed presentation and tours and see what the winter garden has to offer.  Visit their Web site at http://www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum/ for details

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

Happy Winter Solstice

On Monday, December 21, 2009 at 12:47 PM EST we can take a collective breath as we begin to see the days grow longer.  Longer days are here again.  As we go from the point of days with shorter daylight to days with longer daylight, there is a cause of celebration.

To celebrate, Helen Yoest (that’s me!) of Gardening With Confidence™ and 3 fellow social media friends created a Winter Solstice meal just for you.

We treated this meal like a potluck dinner.   Each of us offered up what ever we fancied,  but agreed the recipes would be plant-based – not necessarily vegetarian; but a recipe that used a plant as it’s main ingredient.  As such, we are calling this meal, a Plantluck Dinner for a Winter Solstice Celebration Meal.

The planners for your Plantluck Dinner for a Winter Solstice Celebration Meal:

Lynn Felici-Galllant
www.twitter.com/IndigoGardens
Indigo gardens

Kath Gallant/Blue Moon Cafe
www.twitter.com/BlueMoonMarket
Fan Blue Moon Market & Cafe on
www.facebook.com

Teresa O’Connor
Seasonal Wisdom
www.twitter.com/seasonalwisdom
Fan Seasonal Wisdom on
www.facebook.com

Helen Yoest
Gardening With Confidence
www.twitter.com/HelenYoest
Fan Gardening With Confidence™ on
www.facebook.com

Kelly Senser

www.twitter.com/klsnature

Solstice Stuffed Acorn Squash

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Ingredients:

4 medium acorn squash, locally harvested if possible

2 cups Lundberg’s long grain brown rice

1/3 cup shredded carrots

1/3 cup minced, dried sweet cranberries

1/3 cup minced, dried sweet apricots

1/3 cup whole, hulled pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup minced red onion

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped mint

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut the top ¼ of the acorn squash, and remove all seeds. Place the squash and the tops face down in a roasting pan. Add ½ cup of water and cover loosely with foil. Bake at 350° F for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the squash is soft to the touch. Set aside.

Meanwhile, blend 2 cups of Lundberg’s long grain brown rice with 4 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 50 minutes. When the rice is tender, drain and pour it into a large bowl and allow it to cool. When cool, add the carrots, cranberries, apricots, pumpkin seeds, red onion and 2 tablespoons of parsley.

Whisk together balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, mint, pepper, remaining salt and remaining parsley. Toss with the rice and fruit medley. Fill each acorn squash and enjoy!

Lynn Felici-Gallant and Kath Gallant

Recipe by Kath Gallant, Chef and Proprietor of the Blue Moon Café, Exeter, N.H.

About Kath & the Blue Moon Café:

For nearly 15 years, Kath Gallant has nurtured the New Hampshire community through the Blue Moon Café in Exeter. The award-winning café serves creative, abundant cuisine, and is committed to earth-wise education about food and wellness. When not in the kitchen, Kath tends a 2000 square-foot organic vegetable, herb and flower garden that supplies fresh fare to the café, and is presently at work with her sister-in-law, garden designer and writer Lynn Felici-Gallant, on the café’s first (and much-requested!) cookbook.

Today, Kath and Lynn are serving up Solstice Stuffed Acorn Squash.  ”I love this dish, especially at the holidays. The natural shades of the rice accented with the vibrant jewel-toned cranberries and apricots served in a savory squash reflect the colors and the spirit of the season,” says Kath.

This dish will be on my Solstice celebration table.  ”Rice and fruit-filled acorn squash is my favorite of Kath’s recipes from Blue Moon. It is at once healthful and beautiful, and the combination of flavors, fragrance and textures satisfies all of my senses,” says Lynn.



Seasonal Wisdom’s Kale with Feta and Bacon

Here’s a tasty way to eat more healthy winter greens.  This recipe combines nutritious kale with bacon and goat cheese to create a delicious dish your entire family will enjoy.

Lucky for us, kale grows well in winter in many places, and it’s hard to beat this green’s high nutritional content.  Kale is simply loaded with vitamins A and C, not to mention B vitamins, calcium and other minerals.  At our house, we make this dish whenever nutritious comfort food is needed on a cold, winter night.

Ingredients:

3 slices of bacon or vegetarian-style bacon (preferably organic, local or sustainably raised)

1 bunch of kale leaves, chopped

1/3 cup of chopped red peppers (I use frozen peppers from my garden)

1 medium sized onion

1-2 cloves garlic

2/3 cup of vegetable broth

1/4 cup of dry white wine

1-2 tablespoons of feta cheese

1 tsp of Dijon style mustard

1 tsp fresh thyme (1/2 tsp of dried thyme)

1 tsp fresh rosemary (1/2 tsp of dried rosemary)

Pinch of cayenne

Salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon until crisp. Place cooked bacon on paper towels to drain. In remaining bacon fat, sauté garlic and onions in cooking pan at medium heat until onions are translucent. (If using vegetarian-style bacon, add olive oil while cooking bacon and also while cooking onions.) Then, add red peppers and cook a minute or so to soften.

Add herbs, mustard, broth, white wine, and salt and pepper.  Stir to mix well.

Then add chopped kale and stir well. Cover pan and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. A few minutes before done, add feta and stir well. Serve warm.

This recipe makes a yummy side dish.  But these greens also make a great quiche:  simply add a cup of milk or almond milk; 3/4 cup of shredded cheese; and three eggs to the above recipe. Pour mixture into uncooked pie crust and bake at 375° F for 35-40 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when a toothpick stuck in the center of the quiche comes out clean. Let it sit a few minutes before serving.

Teresa O'Connor Seasonal Wisdom

About the Author: Teresa O’Connor (aka @SeasonalWisdom on Twitter) writes about gardening, local foods and seasonal folklore for online and print publications as well as on her blog www.seasonalwisdom.com.

Teresa co-authored “Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Foods,” (Cool Springs Press) – coming out in January 2010 – where she reported on  nutritional research about produce, and provided tips for purchasing fresh foods locally.

GWC’s Sweet Potato Casserole

ingredients:

6 Sweet Potatoes

Bag of mini-marshmallows

Some butter – optional – I happen to put butter in everything

Some brown sugar – I used 1/4 cup

Proportions can change depending on  your preference.  Add more or less of any ingredient to suit your taste

Boil potatoes with skins on.  Can be boiled a day in advance.  When done (when a knife easily enters the potato) let cool.

After the sweet potatoes have cooled enough to handle, remove the skins.  At this point, the skin will just slide off.

Pre-heat oven to 350° F

Place ingredients directly into an oven proof dish.

Chop or mash the sweet potatoes with a folk.

Sprinkle brown sugar over top

Sprinkle 3/4 mini-marshmallows over top

Dot with butter (if desired)

Mix all together

Cook at 350° F for about a half hour or until heated through.

Add the reminder of the mini-marshmallows on top for garnish.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

Recipe for Apple Crumb Pie

Crust (if you don’t already have a favorite of your own):

ingredients:

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon margarine

1 cup flour

1/4  teaspoon salt

2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Step 1: Using a fork, cut margarine into flour and salt (already in bowl); combine until particles are about the size of small peas.

Step 2: Add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until the flour mixture is moistened and dough almost cleans the side of bowl.

Step 3: Gather dough into a ball and place on lightly floured surface. Using floured rolling-pin, roll dough until it’s about 2 inches larger than inverted pie plate.

Step 4: Fold dough into fourths; place in pie plate.

Step 5: Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

Step 6: Decorate edge as you deem fit. I use my fingers to create wave pattern (image 4). Note: I actually use both hands, but I needed one to snap the photo. :0)

Pie filling:

ingredients:

4 or 5 golden delicious apples (or your favorite baking apple)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Step 7: Peel and slice apples, then place inside crust

Step 8: Mix sugar with the cinnamon. Sprinkle over the apples.

Step 9: Mix all ingredients together until moist and crumbly. Place on top of the apples.

Crumb topping:

ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup butter (margarine may also be substituted)

Step 10: Bake pie at 400 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.

Enjoy!

While I bake this pie for various occasions, it’s a family tradition to present this dessert—warm from the oven—to each child’s teacher during appreciation week in May. We draft a poem to go along with it, which typically begins something like this: “An apple for the teacher is a customary treat/So we baked you a pie to let you know you’re sweet …” Fun for all!

Kelly Senser is a nature-loving mom who enjoys wildlife gardening and outdoor play. She’s a senior associate editor at National Wildlife magazine. Follow Kelly on Twitter @klsnature.

I hope you enjoyed our Plantluck Dinner – Winter Solstice Celebration Meal.  A meal sure to please all of us looking who are forward to longer days!

Condition greenery by soaking in water for a few hours or overnight

Begin stuffing floral frog with conditioned greenery

Paint magnolia Crimson Red

When in doubt, add more!  Now that you have the hang of it, tie your outdoor decorations together by adding red elsewhere.

Unleash your inner painter. These magnolia leaves were used in a window box

Don't stop with magnolia; these pine cones were used in garland around a door

So you see, little is needed to create awesome Christmas decorations.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her businessGardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

Place at the front entrance or where you can view from the inside.  This fresh design will bring color to your winter garden.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her businessGardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

Bobby Ward’s new book Chlorophyll in His Veins, J.C. Raulston, Horticultural Ambassador has been released.

Here’s is what is being said about Bobby’s latest book.

Finally, the inspirational story of this century’s most important horticulturist can be told.  Bobby Ward’s well-researched chronological biography weaves J. C.’s life-long diary entries with outside perspectives in detailing J. C.’s lifelong passion for learning about plants, his desire to share with others, and the against-all-odds stories that shaped his life.  Even those who knew J. C. for decades will be surprised to learn the “rest of the story” of the man who shaped so many gardening lives . . . a truly fascinating read.

–Tony Avent, Raleigh, North Carolina, Plant Delights Nursery, author of So You Want to Start a Nursery

Countless gardeners and nursery owners benefited from J. C. Raulston’s extensive travels in his search for new and worthy plants.  Two rare mahonias in my own garden, Mahonia chochoca and M. lanceolata, testify to his generosity.  This book is a celebration of the life and accomplishments of one of the most-loved personalities the gardening world has known.

–Pamela Harper, Seaford, Virginia, author of Time-Tested Plants

Still to this day, after so many years passed, hardly a day passes without being reminded of J. C.  There will be a plant encountered in the garden that he gave me, or mention of a book or film or something in the kitchen that brings him back briefly, fondly remembered.

Though, like many others, I felt I knew J. C. as a friend and mentor while accepting the complex texture of his personality, Bobby Ward’s biography on this giant of American horticulture makes me realize, in truth, how little I knew of his life.  He has written a highly readable and intimate biography that ensures the legacy of this man will continue unchecked into the future.  As we owe J. C. Raulston an enormous debt of gratitude for what he proffered the horticultural community of North America, a certain ration of thanks should also be reserved for Bobby Ward for guiding this project through to a befitting conclusion.

–Daniel J. Hinkley, Indianola, Washington, plantsman and author of The Explorer’s Garden: Shrubs and Vines

J. C. Raulston, a professor of horticulture at North Carolina State University and founder of the arboretum now named in his memory, was arguably the most important and influential figure on the American gardening scene during the last half of the twentieth century. The number of uncommon but highly desirable plants for both the residential and the commercial landscape is unmatched. It is everyone’s good fortune that in Bobby Ward’s biographical assessment of his life and works Raulston’s significance is assayed with both wit and accuracy. Readers who are familiar with the academic scene and its often petty politics will be fascinated by this book’s treatment of the history of Raulston’s arboretum.

–Allen Lacy, Linwood, New Jersery, author of The Gardener’s Eye

In all pursuits, there are those individuals who excel beyond reason, who set the standard so high we ultimately deify them: in North American horticulture, names like Meehan, Sargent, Bailey, Wilson, Wyman, Creech, Dirr, and Raulston. For those of us who knew J. C. Raulston–the countless students, his colleagues or dear friends–this book begins to connect the dots, making the person we know as J. C. more real, more human, and even more inspiring.

–Richard T. Olsen, Washington, D.C.,  United States National Arboretum

The late great J. C. Raulston was a man for all seasons in and out of the garden. His prodigious energy for work, travel, books, students, and friends was legendary, and with this biography those who knew him—and those who didn’t—will be awed by the way an Oklahoma farm boy overcame many obstacles, including his own self-doubts, to become what The New York Times called ‘a generous-spirited giant among horticulturists’. He was troubled, like all people of great talent, living in a troubled world.  But his motto, ‘Plan and plant for a better world’, was a serious, lifelong effort to leave the world better than he found it.  He was a North Carolina treasure, whose legacy is the NCSU Arboretum in Raleigh.  And his legacy is also legions of friends, among them, new readers like myself.

–Emily Herring Wilson, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, author of

No One Gardens Alone: A Life of Elizabeth Lawrence

Contact Bobby today to purchase your copy Chlorophyl in His Veins, J.C Raulston, Horticultural Ambassador

When you have finished reading Bobby’s book, please e-mail me your comments to Helen@GardeningWithConfidence.com and I will add your comments with the others.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

This week has been cold, too cold for my liking.  No much going on in the garden – not because it is cold, that wouldn’t stop me, but rather, I’ve been busy getting ready for the holidays.  Going to parties, parties, and more parties, for and by everyone, it seems….plus another chapter in my book.

There is still maintenance to do in the garden, if you are so inclined, This Month in the Garden – December

When it is this cold, a little December Inspiration goes a long way.

This piece shot in Raleigh with Beth Jimenez and Amalia Lane with Lasting Impressions Making a Hypertufa Trough – Better Homes and Gardens finally came out.

Spoke to the Wake Forest Garden Club.  Lots of fun.  From that preparation, I wrote a couple of blog post that will show up this week and next.  Here’s the kick off. Book of Six © Six Easy Pieces to Create Awesome Christmas Decorations.

Here’s another How to Create a Boxwood Topiary for Your Holiday Decorations.

If you need to be reminded how to choose a live tree, these tips are for you Book of Six © Six Tips When Choosing a Live Christmas Tree.

And finally, my  friend Kathy Jentz, published and editor of Washington Gardener Magazine got me to do this Honest Scrap Award, Honestly Who Cares?

I made it to the Farmer’s Market and was happy to see the apples are still plentiful. Picked up 2 big bags of Pink Ladies.  While I was there a chocolate croissant met with $3.00 from my wallet, passed through my lips, and landed happily in my belly. I look for this baker every time I’m at the NC State’s Farmer’s Market and I don’t know their name.  I am ashamed of this.  I will make a point this week to get their name and place of business.  I do know they are in Durham, so I’m grateful they come to Raleigh to sell.  They make the best croissant outside of France…in my humble opinion.

Friday night, I went to the preview party (and sale) at Goldbug Studio in Raleigh. They are a wholesaler with the most interesting wares selling to places like Anthropologie.  I make no secret that Anthropologie is my favorite store in the whole wide world.  Ashley’s art is exactly what you would find at Anthropologie, so I’m not surprised.  Even the studio she works from could be the back drop for an Anthropologie’s catalogue photo shoot.

Goldbug opens to the public 2 times a year.  I am already waiting for the next opening.  I wanted to get so much more, but I was over stimulated on Friday night. The next morning, once recovered,  I went back only to be disappointed to find, what I dreamed about all night was already sold.  That will teach me.

I passed this opening to my girlfriends at The Bloomsbury Garden Club.  A few went and emailed me their thanks for turning them on to it…summed it by saying, “Magical.”  Magical indeed.  Part vintage, part fashion forward, part nostalgia.  I wish I could have spent the night.

The ones that got away.

I did bring home a gold bird, a silver bird, a gold pumpkin; and of course, a gold bug.  I now regret, I didn’t get a blue bird and a green bird, and…..

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

My friend, Kathy Jentz, editor and publisher of Washington Gardener tagged me for the Honest Scrap Award.  The award has two components. You have to first list 10 honest things about yourself (and make them interesting), and second present the award to seven other bloggers.  Honestly, who cares?  Well, I guess Kathy cares enough to ask; so I will answer.

10 Honest Things About Yourself

1. At some point, on most days, I will eat a can of sardines at my desk.  I no longer bother with dirtying up a dish…I just each them right out of a can – yum.
2. I’m not fond of babies.  At this stage, they are like a larvae waiting to morph into something I like – a child.
3. I’ve never met a garden I didn’t like.  People’s passions come through in the creating of each individual garden.  I like that.
4. I’m tidy, inside and out.  When everything is in its place, I’m a happy girl.
5. I didn’t like to do homework when I was in school and I don’t like to do it with my children.  I make my husband do it.
6. I play Christmas music in June, if I need to.
7. I like to write USA after the zip code when addressing envelopes.  I just like the way it looks.
8. I’m consistant in my thinking.  If I like you today, I will like you tomorrow.
9. I’m a very good judge of people.
10. I am an engineer and I think like an engineer.  There is nothing that can’t be figured out, although I’m not always inclined too.

Present the award to seven other blogger

Hopefully, the bloggers I tagged for this also think like number 8…here you go!

Flower Garden Girl – Anna Lopper

Gardens of the Wild, Wild West – M.A.  Newcomer

Indigo Gardens – Lynn Felici-Gallant

Inter Leafings – Laura Livengood Schuab

Miss Rumphius’ Rules – Susan Cohan

Seasonal Wisdom – Teresa O’Conner

Toronto Gardens –  Helen and Sarah

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

Here are six tips when choosing a live Christmas tree and how to keep it beautiful throughout the holiday season.

1. Measure the space.  Know your ceiling height – 8′, 9′, 10′, etc. Also know if the space will support a fat tree or if you should consider a tree more narrow.
2. Ideally, the tree will fill the desired space to the max.  Half a foot below the ceiling height including stand and topper would be perfect.
3. Some needle loss is natural.  Excessive needle loss is not.  Look at the branches, they should be full of needles and have  a good green color (for the species.)
4. Resin is an indication of a heathy tree.  Grip your fingers along a branch and pull forward.   Sufficient resin will cause your hand to become sticky.
5. Before you bring the tree home, have the stem re-cut.  Ideally, this would be done at home so that  you can put it in water as soon as possible.  For most of us, it isn’t.  As such, have it cut where you buy it and soak the fresh cut in water when you get home.
6. Keep watered and away from drafts.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

Gather materials:

• A topiary form purchased from a craft store.
• Cranberries purchased from the grocery store.
• 4 inch snips of boxwood from a bush in your garden (or a friends’.)  It always seems to take more than you need.  Snip generously.  Any left over can be discarded into a wildlife brush pile.
• An ice pick is helpful tool to “pre-drill” holes for the boxwood topiary.
• Terracotta pot.

Topiary form

Filling in the form with boxwood

"Pre-drill" holes with an ice pick helps allow box to enter form easily

Almost complete

Because of the generous size, the box ball makes,  the base become out of scale.  As such, slipping this base into a larger pot balances the design.

Finished!

Box dries nicely so nothing is needed to keep your topiary looking good.

Top with cranberries and voila!

Enjoy.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

Greenery conditioning prior to use

The Wake Forest Garden Club invited me to speak at their December meeting about decorating for the holidays.   That was my only charge.  I got to talk about anything on the subject, so I choose to base the topic on what was typically growing in our southern backyards.

Being a gardener, this will always be my bent.  I’m not a florist.  Using what is available in the garden rocks my world.

Walking around your garden, the neighborhood, or when visiting with friends, note the greenery, sticks, berries, pods and cones.  With a little guidance, snips from these sources will decorate your home in no time.

Boxwood

Chamaecyparis ‘Golden Mop’

Cryptomeria ‘Green Dragon ’

Deodar Cedar

English Ivy

Eucalyptus

Hemlock

Holly –  Nellie R. Stevens, Savannah, Winterberry

Hydrangea heads, dried

Juniper especially with Berries

Leyland Cypress

Ligustrum Berries

Magnolia

Nandina berries

Poet’s Laurel

Red and Yellow Twig Dogwood

Rose hips

Smilax

White Pine/needles and cones

Plus Cones, pods, seeds heads and Christmas tree cuttings

For the folks in Wake Forest, I made several arrangements

using very little variety. Yet, they were all different and

unique. Add in a little spray paint and what can be found

at the grocery store, and your designs can be complete

without ever tieing a bow.

Most of these types of decorations can be made with six

pieces or less.

1. A base form or chicken wire formed to use as a floral frog.
2. 1 – 3 Greenery
3. Paint
4. Cranberries

Boxwood topiary

The boxwood topiary uses clippings from an English boxwood and cranberries from the grocery store.

Birdbath

Birdbath detail

The birdbath uses ‘Winter Red’ holly, magnolia, Leyland, and Fraiser fur.

Painted magnolia detail

The hose pot uses painted magnolia, unpainted magnolia, and Leyland.

So you see, little is needed to create awesome Christmas decorations.  My next post will give step-by-steps instructions for creating each of these three designs

Shelia and others from the Wake Forest garden club, thank you for having me.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum