Greening Up For The Holidays 2011

I attended the annual container workshop at a local nursery and I thought to myself what could be new and different about putting a container together one year later!  Well, I should know by now there is always something new in the gardening world.

Glitz is all the rage this holiday season, spray painted birch branches in white, gold and silver.  Birch is preferred because the branches are more delicate than the red and yellow dogwoods.

I don't want to repeat information that is the same as last year so I will refer you to my 2010 post of the same title.  It is to the right of my blog under "POPULAR POSTS."

Fruit is big this year in outdoor displays, protect it with a quick spray of clear poly suitable for outdoors and you will have these for many years.

Melon Balls

Pears

Small pomegrantes

I did not spray these last year and had to throw them out at the end of the season.

Large Pomegrante

The Noble Fir is still the base for most container designs as this green is strong enough to hold up the rest of the less stable greens.  Remember, triangle formation for interest.  A couple of new greens for this year is the large leaved boxwood and Port Orford Cedar.

Large Leaved Boxwood

Insence Cedar

This is one of my favorites for its flexibility and pop as far as seeing the seeds from afar.

Port Orford Cedar
Very flexible and adds a softness to the arrangement

Seeded Naked Red Eucalyptus

I will spray this with the poly to keep the color.

Silver Dollar Eucalyptus

Just beautiful, no Wilt Pruf Spray no poly because of staining.  However, I used this last year and it did not retain its color, turned light brown. 

Winter Protea Repens

Many types of potted evergreens this year are for container displays.  In the colder areas the hole you are going to transfer it to must be dug now or the ground will be frozen.  These potted evergreens are not meant to be thrown away but to be repurposed in your garden.

Oasis is recommended for indoor containers like the one above (note the Noble Fir as a beginning for the greens).  Outdoors it is preferred to sink angle cut greens into soil, water well and spray Wilt Pruf to retain the moisture throughout the winter season.

This is one of the pre-made containers with many different types of greens.  It has Winterberry which is quite expensive and does not hold up for the winter season.  You cannot spray it with Wilt Pruf and I found after several hard frosts it turns black.  Use Pepperberry or faux is you can find one that will hold up outside.

This is a large containe with a tree topper used in the center with the same triangle effect of greens used around the perimeter.

I have my sprays ready to go, lots to do, will keep you all in the loop for Christmas Garden Decorating!