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Stay in Touch With Nature By Bringing Outside In

Saturday, December 10, 2011

With the garden buttoned up for now and nearly two weeks until the Dec. 22, when the Winter Solstice marks the pivotal point for an increase in daylight hours, we can focus our attention inside.

Even during the dormant season, there are ways we can stay connected to the natural world.  The most obvious and easiest way is to bring the light and bright inside with cuttings from plants in your yard.  Make your own arrangements with cuttings from pines and spruces along with beautiful broadleaf evergreens like Grape Holly (Mahonia spp.), Manzanitas (Archtostaphylos spp.) and Boxwoods (Buxus spp).  Stems of rose hips and a number of the thick leafed, variegated euonymus will also add color and texture.

Evergreens will potentially add fragrance to a room, so place them where someone would pass nearby.  Use trimmings from your Christmas tree if you have a fresh cut one.

Bouquets of store bought fresh cut flowers can be added to your homemade arrangements with enough to make several cheery displays.  Alstromerias are by far my favorite cut flowers due to their exquisite beauty and long lasting quality.  Find out when the cut flowers arrive at your favorite floral shop and purchase them soon thereafter to get the most life out of your purchase.

Miniature lights or swirls of silver, gold or copper strands will also provide the sparkle we crave at this time of year.

Nothing says fresh quite like a bowl of lemons and limes.  Tuck stems of evergreens into tiny reservoirs of water hidden amongst the fruits so the greenery will last longer.  Interweave a colorful ribbon amongst them.  Coils of cinnamon sticks would also look good with this combination.  While you’re at it, simmer a few sticks in water to add to the holiday ambiance and freshen up your winter indoor air.

A sweet-scented pomander made from an orange liberally pierced with cloves can also be added in.  Or you can wrap the orange with ribbon or raffia to hang from a doorway.

Along with traditional poinsettias, a potted ornamental pepper with its bright and fiery miniature fruits will also add zest and warmth to your interiors.  Keep plants away from cold drafts.

In each of your arrangements, find a way to bring in a bit of novelty and uniqueness, giving them your own signature.  Let the materials suggest their best use.  Stifle the voice of the inner critic who restricts your creativity. Vary the magnitude of your magnificent works of art.  Use them as heartfelt gifts for a party host or friend. 

Remember to change the water of your live arrangements every several days and use a floral preservative to help extend their life.  You can usually downsize the containers for a re-arrangement before the whole thing is spent. Remove faded foliage and let the smaller vases of blooms continue to brighten spaces viewed close up.

For gardeners, there are many ways to embrace these joyful aspects of the season.  Being resourceful while still surrounding ourselves with live plants and greenery is just one of them.  With Winter Solstice on the way, seed catalogs won’t be far behind.