Deck The Halls With Evergreens

Well you know, here at the flower farm we are all about fresh cut everything-even in December. We have so many greens available out the back door it seems a little crazy. Maybe you do too. So if you do now is the time to cut some of those beauties and showcase them for the Christmas holiday season.

Of course my favorite evergreen for wreaths has to be cedar-mostly because of that wonderful fresh cut cedar smell. In our area there is so much cedar available that many times you could cut from volunteer trees on the side of the road and no one would even know-maybe I'm speaking from past experience- but everywhere you turn there is cedar to be had. Cedar by itself can make a lovely wreath but it's always fun to add other evergreen textural elements.

Another tree that grows in our area is pine. Fresh with cones this time of year, the pine with its lovely needles add a little bit of whimsy to wreaths, garland, mailbox decor, porch pots, I could go on and on. The pine cones by themselves make great decor for inside the house as well.

Other trees I like to use are the magnificent Magnolia-we have 3 of these on our property-2 of them have only grown here 2-3 years so I was happily surprised to notice how much they have grown and I snipped just a few branches for some porch pots I did for a client recently-needless to say she was very pleased and I was too because it made her holiday decorating a little easier and more festive.

We also use Holly with its berries and Nandina with berries as well. We have both on our property but they are still just a tad young and our holly tree hasn't gotten berries yet (I hope it does sometime soon in the next year or two). I have a neighbor who always ever so lovingly shares her Holly and Nandina with me and I couldn't feel more grateful-great neighbors are the best and I hope she feels the same about me!

The Leyland Cypress is a tree with some beautiful full textured branches similar to a cedar but the branches are much fuller. We have 3 of these beauties on our farm but a couple of years ago they took a hit with cold weather and wind we had. I wasn't sure if they would pull through and I had in mind we would have to cut them down and let them go but they have finally recovered after a couple of years.

Another beauty many enjoy in their holiday decor are the various types of spruce trees. We have a couple from our church that always allow me to go to their family homestead and trim some branches to use. I cherish this, as the home and its land belonged to a precious lady I knew who attended chuch and was a friend with my great-grandmother Mary Agnes Beard. I also enjoy cutting some English Ivy to use from her homestead as well-it is gorgeous in garland and this is one of my very favorite decor items to make for the holidays. Also, at this homestead they have many large Yew bushes that make a great addition to the garland as well.

And just when you think how much more could you add, don't forget about the red twig Dogwood. Maybe you are not familiar with it. It grows into a large bush that really has no distinguishing characteristics that anyone would notice or care about until it looses its leaves in fall then you see the twigs/branches are a beautiful red. I just love putting these in porch pots or whatever else suits my fancy.

Are you familiar with the curly Willow tree? Well my dear you need to be! They love a wet soil and when they drop their tiny leaves in fall you can see very evidently the twists and turns their branches make and the tan/brown color along with the spiral branches just make the loveliest pop of texture in porch pots-I also like to use these in my early spring arrangements for just a little bit of surprise.

Next year we will plant some Winterberry Holly bushes-they have clumps of red berries that I look forward to harvesting-it make take a few years to get them there but I'm excited for what they have to offer. These holly bushes are also available in a orange, white, and pink berry form-I know-I can't believe it either. But maybe you are already acquainted with these beauties.

There are so many other great options for all the various evergreen decor and trimmings that I haven't included in this article. I hope you are able to take a walk around your yard (or maybe from a generous neighbor) and gain insight into all the things you have available in your backyard for your holiday decorations. One thing to add-I tend to keep my fresh greens outside-the cold air of the season helps to maintain their color and keep them from drying out. They easily dry out inside if not spritzed with water and will shed and tend to make a mess in the house sometimes-but hey if you don't mind to clean up the mess that's ok too. Many times our December and January weather is not as cold as it should be to keep them from drying out when they are placed outside as well-many will spritz their greens with water to help-in a perfect world I would too but I just don't want to take the time to do it. No one really notices how dry it is in January unless they touch it anyway.

So go get your coat, get out there and see what you have available. Put on your little creative hat and get those juices flowing and so you can adorn your door with its very own wreath made especially by you with love with what you have on hand-when you get done you will have a great sense of satisfaction and you'll feel savy that you saved some big bucks because you did it yourself. Happy Decking the Halls!! and Merry Christmas Y'all!!