Natural World

Think outside the evergreen box

Some plants that aren’t evergreens make excellent accents to holiday arrangements. Several of these to consider include:

Red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) and yellow twig dogwood (Cornus sericea‘Flaviramea’): As their names imply, the stems are brilliant red and bright yellow. They are extremely effective as strong vertical elements.

Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata): When this is deciduous shrub loses its leaves in the fall, it exposes stems that are covered in bright red berries that put on a seasonal display that can't be beaten.

Winter Gold winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Gold’): The gold-apricot berries of the ‘Winter Gold’ variety of winterberry offer a contrasting alternative to this typically red-berried plant.

Keeping greenery safe and fresh

Here are some tips to keeping greenery from becoming s fire hazard and looking as fresh as possible as long as possible.

• Make sure you have several sizes of cutters. Small clippers won't cut though magnolia boughs.
• Clean and sharpen the blades.
• Fill a bucket with water before starting. Put cut the freshly cut ends into the water and store them out of direct sunlight in a cool dry place such as an unheated garage until you are ready to use them.
• Crush the ends of woody stems. This will allow the cut end to take in more water.
• Soak the greenery in water overnight by immersing it in water. This allows the cuttings to absorb the maximum amount of moisture.
• Allow the foliage to dry and then spray it with an anti-transpirant. Do not use anti-transpirants on juniper berries, cedar or blue spruce, because they can damage the wax coating that gives these plants their distinctive color.
• Store finished wreaths, garlands and arrangements in a cool location until you are ready to place them in your home.
• Do not place fresh greenery and fruits near doors or windows that get direct sunlight or close to candles or near heat vents.
• Have a backup plan to replace greenery and fruits during the holidays if they become less than fresh. A simple way to check for freshness every few days is to bend needles and leaves. They should be flexible and and not break or crack. When removing greenery, put it in compost piles or place it by the curb for recycling.

Safety for children and pets

When using natural decorations, bear in mind that some popular berry-producing plants can present poisoning hazards for small children and pets. Hollies, yews, mistletoe, ivy, Jerusalem cherry, bittersweet and crown of thorns all produce poisonous berries. The pearly white berries of mistletoe are particularly toxic. Keep all these plants out of the reach of inquisitive children and curious pets and be sure to pick up and discard any berries that may fall off during the decorating process.

Planning ahead

In the spring when your garden comes back to life and you visit nurseries shopping for plants, think about those that have colors, textures and berries that would add charm and appeal to your Christmas decorations. What could be better than a garden with year-round appeal?