Hi friends! Inspired by vera's stunning Garden Club Christmas Tree from this post , I thought it would be fun for us to show off what kind of holiday decorations you've dressed up your home with this season. Have you decked your halls with berries, holly or evergreens? Show us! And if you still need a little inspiration to get you going, check out this post from HGTV Gardens.This message has been edited. Last edited by: HGTVMallory,
Uh, we're supposed to dress up our homes for the holidays??? Mine will be lucky to have a tree put up but that won't occur until at least next week or so.
I think those natural decorations would be great outside...some of the birds might really love them!
I just had another thought....Mallory, if you come down this direction...I have several Magnolia trees you could collect leaves from to do deco with.This message has been edited. Last edited by: ga.karen,
"The soil is the source of life, creativity, culture and real independence." David Ben-Gurion
Faux all the way here due to sensitivities to real conifers. While I have a large acreage and could cut any amounts of fir, spruce, and pine it isn't worth it for my comfort.
My Christmas decorating this year is much less than I usually do. I'm getting wiser (and lazier) with age! LOL I haven't taken any pics yet but probably will eventually post some of my lovely faux evergreens.
Looking forward to seeing what others do.
Lucky
"I have always had an aversion to the concepts of in style and out of style." ~Rose Tarlow
easy decorations this year... just fiber optic tree and nativity set. tree lights don't show well but a wheel rotates between twinkling colored lights and all white. had a real tree last year and about broke my vacuum from cleaning up the dropped needles. wrote on this decembers calendar.. NO REAL TREE.
Posts: 3039 | Location: CA zone 10a | Registered: Aug 27, 2007
Along our country roads we have ample numbers of redtwigged dogwood plants growing and they make for nice urn decorations along with spikes of ornamental grasses and boughs of evergreens. (Like Joy, I respect the branching of wild evergreens -- to a point-- I only cut where the tree is not deformed. I had cut many as a protective layer over my roses and clematises.
when I did up the containers on each side of the fence gate at the driveway, I was pleased, at first, with what I'd done.... but it soon outgrew the container and started looking ratty.... but this winter look should do good for a while longer.....
"Gardening Keeps Me Growing!"
Posts: 26794 | Location: Near Charlotte, NC, zone 7 | Registered: Sep 18, 2002
Love the pictures ladies and the ideas. Bana, my fiberoptic tree bit the dust this year. I've taken it apart, put a new bulb in, put it back together, taken it apart, re-wired, put it back together..... I really liked my little tree. It was the only tree showing on the front of my house. The big one is always in the back and can't be seen by passersby.
sorry to hear that, GP. want me to send you mine? i'm not that attached to it and a nice red poinsettia plant would look just as holiday-esque as the tree.
Posts: 3039 | Location: CA zone 10a | Registered: Aug 27, 2007
Vera... that's so purdeeee!!!....I love things 'au naturel'!!!... wish I could find me a tree like your birdhouse came from.... that's perfect!!!.... yep... Nandinia berries.... one year I did my whole tree in them... white bows, gold balls and the red berries.... looked wonderful, but I'll bet I picked up as many berries as most folks pick up needles!!... LOL!... the cats loved chasing them, and kinda 'helped' them hit the floor!!.... I know they're toxic to cats, but mine only ever wanted to play with them, not eat 'em!!!....
"Gardening Keeps Me Growing!"
Posts: 26794 | Location: Near Charlotte, NC, zone 7 | Registered: Sep 18, 2002
nice wreath, Muddy!!!.... and it reminded me....I can't reach the greens on my old pines, so I went to Lowe's to see if they had any 'trimmings' from the trees they sell, leftovers that they'd sell me so I could make my arrangements....and maybe stink up the house good.....anyways.... they had a box full of trimmings and they're FREE!!!... might wanna check at your home stores and see if there's any there, too!!... they had bunches, packaged, for several bucks, but these were freebies!...going back next week for some MORE!!!
"Gardening Keeps Me Growing!"
Posts: 26794 | Location: Near Charlotte, NC, zone 7 | Registered: Sep 18, 2002
It's not Christmas without FREE Christmas tree lot trimmings all around our house. To get even more aroma, we take some of the stump pieces that are usually left behind on the ground after the trees are trimmed and put it on a pot of simmering water on the stove. Be sure to monitor it and keep it set really low (safety first!), but it's the best holiday potpourri I've found. If you try it yourself, use a pot that isn't your favorite, top-of-the-line variety. The sap can sometimes stick like crazy and ruin it, so we just use the same old pot every year.
Mallory, what a great idea - never thought of that! Might have to try it.
Muddy, love the wreath.......we will be making decorations at the HD garden club this coming thursday night..using left over greens from their tree trimmings. I should do a tutorial!
Also, no, I did not make the honeysuckle wreath...I bought it from a man at the Farmers Market......for 2.00. I don't see how he can sell them so cheap, but who am I to argue! I don't have enough honeysuckle vines, nor enough patience to do something like that.
If anyone ends up with a sticky pot...just use googone to get the resin off. With all our pine trees I frequently get into patches of it especially if I've shaved off the top of a root when mowing. Last spring (I think) I stuck my hand in a big pile of resin cause I couldn't tell what it was...didn't take me long to figure it out & head to the house to clean up!
"The soil is the source of life, creativity, culture and real independence." David Ben-Gurion
I really liked my little tree. It was the only tree showing on the front of my house. The big one is always in the back and can't be seen by passersby.
