Green Fingers: Countdown to the festive season
When you start to look in your garden, you will see possibilities to help create some seasonal displays.
We never seem to have enough Christmas decorations, and the shops are awash with a huge variety of ornamental and brightly coloured items.
At least we have a great choice on which types to have in our homes and it is down to individual and personal tastes on what to do.
For us, we are not far removed from being traditional and enjoy bringing in a selection of natural plant materials, which we use in making up our own decorations but we do use a number of artificial additives to spice up the creations.
There is no great expertise involved and it is rewarding to make up some festive decorations. It is easier now that the materials for most displays are all based on a simple structure.
The start of most decorations begins with a base, which could be a plant saucer or oasis tray, which comes in many shapes and sizes, and into which a block of oasis is placed and secured by a line of floristry tape.
Green oasis is soaked in water and then used for living or mixed plant arrangements, while the grey oasis is used for dry and artificial arrangements only.
You can place a candle holder in the centre and then you are ready to add your various decorative materials around. When completed place a candle in the holder. All those saucers, trays, oases and tapes are available in garden centres.
I do realise that there is limited time available to head out into the countryside, woods and beaches, and gather some materials for decorations but I have always advocated combining it with walking and getting some fresh air.
It is like foraging for wild food, and once you have been out a few times, you will soon know where to find suitable materials.
Pieces of driftwood and other seaworn articles are readily found on a number of beaches, while some of the local woods will provide a variety of cones, twigs, moss, ivy and possibly some holly.
There is not an abundance of garden plants that will provide you with some material for decorations during Christmas but when you start to look, you will see enough possibilities to help create some seasonal displays.
Acacia or Mimosa has beautiful fine foliage, as does French Eucalyptus, which has steel blue foliage coupled with a pleasant menthol smell.
Other plants for foliar treats include Aucuba ‘Crotonifolia’, Elaeagnus, Euonymus, Griselinia ‘Variegata’ and ‘Bantry Bay’, Hedera (Ivy) coloured types, Ilex (Holly) ‘Handsworth New Silver’, ‘Golden King’, Leucothoe ‘Rainbow’, Luma (Myrtle) ‘Glanleam’, Mahonia ‘Charity’, M aquifolium ‘Atropurpurea’, Pittosporum ‘Purpurea’, ‘Garnetii’ and ‘Elizabeth’, Nandina ‘Firepower’, and Phormium.
I will list a few plants that have either flowers (F) or berries (B). The autumn cherry is a good choice as it flowers from November until April. Aucuba (B), Callicarpa (B), Cotoneaster (B), Erica (F), Hebe (F), Hydrangea (F - some coloured, others faded), Ilex (Holly) (B), Mahonia (F), Pernettya (B), Salvia ‘Amistad’ (F), Skimmia (F & B) and Viburnum tinus and fragrans (F).
We are using our vegetables that are still in the ground. They include leeks, carrots, beetroot, sprouts and hardy parsnips, which become more flavoursome when subjected to the winter weather.
The last of the leaves have fallen and are left to rot in areas where they can benefit soil fertility, but we remove them from paths and similar hard surfaces and place them in the compost heap.
If you have any queries or comments you are welcome to share them with me on 051-384273 or orchardstowngardencentre@hotmail.com and if of general interest I will include them in a future article.
