From the Landscape to Holiday Decorations

Add a personal touch to your holidays by creating decorations from evergreens, berries, cones and seedpods harvested from your landscape.

Balsam firs, yews, holly, boxwoods and junipers are a few evergreens to consider. Hemlocks and spruce are good for the outdoors, but quickly shed their needles inside. And though pines are attractive, this is not the best time to prune them. So selectively remove branches or purchase a few pine boughs.

Place the stems in a bucket of water as soon as they are harvested to extend their life.

Collect berries such as rose hips, winterberry and crabapples for added color. And don’t overlook cones and seedpods from perennials that provide interesting form and texture.

Consider making an arrangement in a water filled vase so the evergreens will stay fresh throughout the season. Or harvest extra greens to replace those in garland and wreaths that are subject to drying indoors.

A bit more information: Antidessicants are available from craft stores and garden centers to slow drying and keep greens looking their best. Always keep greens away from open flames and discard those that become dry and brittle.