Holly is a favorite in some areas. Fraser fir (love that scent) can be found I believe in parts of Virginia. You can find boxwood in many parts of the US.
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| For the fireplace mantel, I simply lay cut branches on the mantel, and add pinecones, unbreakable ornaments, and chunks of paper birch. |
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| I make my own holiday potpourri, using cedar, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and dried orange slices. I saw a bag of this selling in a gift shop years ago and thought I could easily make my own. |
Are any in your own backyard?
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| This is one of two wall planters by our front door. I fill the coir liner with branches of cedar then top with pine cones and unbreakable ornaments. |
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| Holiday swags are perhaps the most complicated decorations I make with greenery. I bundle together cedar branches, secure with a piece of green wire, then wire on an ornamental florist pick . To top it off, I tie on a plaid bow. Very easy and done in about 15 minutes, start to finish. |
Greenery from the yard is not only beautiful, but free and regenerates itself. I understand that for some households cut greenery just wouldn't work or isn't an option.
But if you do cut your own greenery for indoor Christmas decor, how do you like to use it? What materials do you have naturally available to you?
I usually don't cut greenery, but we do have some we could use. Do you have problems with the sticky sap that comes from most evergreens?
ReplyDeleteHi Live and Learn,
DeleteSo the cedar doesn't ooze noticeable sap. I use cedar liberally when laying on a painted mantel, and it doesn't leave spots of sap. Part of this may be that I use the tips of branches with very small diameters and not large woody pieces. Douglas fir oozes a little more. I tend to use the fir in pots, stem end stuck into dirt for mini-trees. So I wouldn't notice any sap with those. Holly is dormant in December here, so little to no sap. I sometimes use boxwood cuttings in smaller arrangements, and it doesn't ooze at all, plus when dried it still looks green for many months. Cypress, juniper, and yew also grow in our yard. I could cut them, but don't for various reasons. But none of these three are heavy oozers. It's my understanding that pines ooze a lot and so do spruces. Neither of those grow well in our area, so I can't say from experience how bad either are.
This is a good question, as understanding sap flow can influence how someone might use cut evergreens. A very oozy branch could easily go into a vase for an evergreen arrangement, while a less oozy branch could be laid on a surface. If in doubt a surface can be lined with something as simple as a sheet of waxed paper or if a small area, on a platter or other washable tray.