Posts Tagged Christmas decorations

Sunday December 20, 2009 Puttering in Helen’s Haven

December 20, 2009 at 4:47 pm · Filed under Helen's Haven ·Tagged , , , ,

The Sunday Before Christmas

It was a slow gardening week at Helen’s Haven.  The kids last day of school was Friday, so any preparations that involved their Christmas needed to be complete.

While Helen’s Haven slept through sleet and snow and rain, I waited to garden.  The next dry, sunny day, I will be out in the garden again – despite the cold.  I just don’t want to be cold AND wet.

The hope of a Christmas season snow was dashed by a mere degree.  The kid’s disappointment quickly faded dreaming of sugarplums and Santa.

This story about Suzanne Edney’s design is a good Garden Coaching lesson to evaluate your garden for winter interest.  Winter Interest Under Way for Umstead Hotel and Spa

Tomorrow (Monday) at 12:47 PM EST will bring the Winter Solstice.  For this light starved gardener, the Winter Solstice is a much anticipated day.  To celebrate, fellow bloggers and I created a Plantluck Dinner – A Winter Solstice Celebration Meal.

When you finish Bobby Ward’s book Cholorphyll in his Veins: J.C. Raulston: Horticultural Ambassador, please share with me your comments so I can post and share for others to see.

The decorating is done, for me and my clients.  If you are still looking to be inspired, have a look here:  How to Decorate a Birdbath for the Holidays &  How to Decorate a Container for the Holidays.


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

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How to Decorate a Container for the Holidays

December 15, 2009 at 8:59 am · Filed under Holiday Design ·Tagged , ,

Painted magnolia in a hose pot
GATHER MATERIALS:
Container
Chicken wire
Clippers
Tape
Magnolia
Paint
Gloves
Greenery

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

Cut chicken wire to use as a floral frog

Container to make arrangement in. I used this old hose pot.

Form chicken wire to serve as a floral frog. Tape down to secure.

Begin stuffing floral frog with conditioned greenery

Paint magnolia Crimson Red

Painted magnolia in a hose pot

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

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How-to Decorate a Birdbath for the Holidays

December 14, 2009 at 9:22 am · Filed under Holiday Design ·Tagged , ,

When it comes to decorating a birthbath for the Holidays, the best way is with water.  Natural, fresh, unfrozen water is the best thing you can add to your birdbath.  Fresh water for the wildlife is fashionable in any season.

Lucky for us at Helen’s Haven, we have 9 birdbaths, so turning one into a fabulous decoration for 3 weeks or so is fun, festive, and easy to do.  We also find comfort in knowing our wildlife will not go without.
A little of this and a little of that is all it takes to make a big impression…just using snips from the garden.  If you don’t have the materials used here, regional substitutions are not only OK, it’s preferred!
Oh yes, as always, the clippings from the bottom of the Christmas tree come in handy as filler.
Birdbath
GATHER MATERIALS
Chicken wire
Tape
‘Winter Red’ holly
Leyland Cypress
Fraser Fir
Magnolia leaves
Cut chicken wire to form a floral frog

Form a pillow shaped flora frog out of chicken wire

Secure floral frog with tape. Duct tape works well.

Start adding greenery around the edges.  In this design, Leyland and fir were used at the base.

Winter Red was added to the design for color and height.

Keep adding greenery until you are satisfied.  When in doubt, add more!

Birdbath detail

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

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Book of Six © Six Easy Pieces to Create Awesome Christmas Decorations

December 8, 2009 at 9:07 pm · Filed under Holiday Design, The Book of Six© ·Tagged , ,

Conditioning greens before use

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 in a hose pot

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

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