THERE are many inspiring ideas for making your own festive holiday arrangements for both indoors and outdoors.
The trend today is to combine a variety of natural, fragrant materials with artificial, seasonal materials. In addition to the traditional selections of poinsettias, plants such as the Christmas cactus put on vivid displays in time for the holidays. The tubular flowers come in a range of vivid colours including pink, orange, red, magenta and even yellow.
Barbara Jean Jackson, a master gardener in Brandon, says most of the Christmas cacti sold in Canada are really Thanksgiving cacti -- Schlumbergera truncate hybrids.
"The segment margins of Thanksgiving cactus have two to four saw-toothed, upward-pointing projections on the side of each segment and blooms a full month before the true Christmas cactus," Jackson says.
To identify which of the holiday cacti you have, she suggests looking at the edges of the segments since the plant has no true leaves.
"The true Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckley) has leaves with rounded or scalloped projections on the edges, usually four (two on each side). Normal bloom time is December to March. Flowers are usually varying shades of magenta.
"The Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) flowers from March through May and has pink or red flowers. Segment margins are only subtly scalloped with four to six slight lobes. There are brownish hairs or bristles on the tips."
Another house plant that heralds the season with exotic blooms is the lipstick plant. Donna Cheung, a floral designer and in-house designer for this year's Festival of Trees and Lights, suggests weaving a string of white twinkle lights with green-coloured wire through its leaves for some instant magic.
Together with other brightly coloured houseplants that help to create a festive display, heavily fragrant paperwhites can be used to create an indoor dish garden for your dining table. Sharlene Nielsen, owner of Front Door Stories, combines them with wicker balls, stones for added support, and fresh greenery.
Try creating your own poinsettia tropical basket. Unlike a bouquet of cut flowers, the tropical basket is a collection of living plants rooted in their own soil that will thrive in the home with minimal care.
Regina Packard, floral designer at the Green Spot Home & Garden in Brandon, offers these tips:
"Start with a basket that has a plastic liner. Using the poinsettia as the focal point, choose a variety of plants with different foliage and textures, such as table ferns, ivies and dracaenas. Remove the poinsettia from the pot and gently loosen the soil. Carefully position the tropical plants, covering bare soil with decorative moss. To finish, add a sprig of glitter and a Christmas bow."
Bonnie Hildebrand, a longtime member of the Winnipeg Floral Arranging Group, has some unique ideas for creating a Christmas table centrepiece using fresh flowers that will last for several weeks. Starting with branches of cedar, spray the tips with artificial snow. Include shorter branches of pine and spruce and perhaps some nice shiny holly or variegated pittosporum.
"Peach looks lovely mixed in with items that sparkle with gold glitter," Hildebrand says. "Include three or five artificial Christmas picks, include pine cones that have been wired to picks. Round, colourful Christmas balls can also be wired to picks. The longest-lasting flowers are carnations, which come in many different colours."
White mums, especially the white spider mums, are Hildebrand's favourite choice for this holiday-themed arrangement.
Don't forget the outside of the house. To make a long-lasting swag for outdoors, begin by purchasing a hanging oasis cage from the florist.
Hildebrand recommends soaking the oasis in water and laying the cage on a large plastic sheet to protect your work table.
Use cedar, pine branches and other evergreens to form an elongated oval shape.
"Do not use tender foliage, as it will freeze and look unsightly. Place a large, bright ribbon bow either near the top of the oval shape or at the very middle, with two long tails of ribbon hanging down. Wired ribbon is best, as it retains its shape in our high winds," Hildebrand. says.
"The tips of dried branches and large pine cones can be sprayed white and placed throughout to add dimension. Once placed outside, the wet oasis will freeze and the swag should last the entire season."
The aromatic needles of the balsam fir make it an ideal choice for wreaths and centrepieces. Tammy Jensen of Jensen's Nursery combines it with pieces of pine and juniper with blueberries.
"Use natural dried plants such as wheat, Karl Foerster grass, dried hydrangea and autumn joy sedum blooms. Add spruce and small dogwood or willow branches for a unique look," Jensen says, noting many of these natural materials can be found right outside your door.
There is no need to let your garden containers hibernate all winter in the shed. Carla Hrycyna, co-owner of St. Mary's Nursery & Garden Centre, recommends gracing them with beautiful winter arrangements using boughs, branches and berries.
"Use containers that have been constructed to withstand the elements of winter," Hrycyna advises. "Instead of terra cotta, choose cast iron, poly or fibreglass to resist extreme cold temperatures. Silver fir, cedar and white pine alone or blended in arrangements form the foundation of your arrangement."
Hrycyna suggests adding red-dyed magnolia leaves or toyon berry, beargrass or gold- or silver-tinted eucalyptus. Vertical height can be achieved by using the brightly coloured red stems of the red osier dogwood, a native Prairie shrub, or the twisty form of curly willow.
Hrycyna also recommends adding some blueberry twigs or red huck for different heights.
"Don't forget a little glitter with open weave ribbons of sinamay, available in red, burgundy, ivory, green, and gold and brown. Tuck in the occasional little nest gently wired to some of the branches. For nighttime effect, add a strand of lights among the boughs."
When decorating outdoor containers or urns, Nicole Bent, co-owner of Shelmerdine Garden Centre, suggests you start by filling the top eight inches of the urn with a 50/50 sand/soil mixture that is preferably damp.
"Arrange cascading, soft greenery such as cedar around the rim of the urn, and work towards the middle, tucking a variety of other greens into the soil, Bent says. "The more varieties of greenery that you use, the more lush and intricate the arrangement.
"The centre of the urn should feature the tallest and most rigid greenery, such as spruce tree tops or white pine. Lastly, add the finishing touches of decoration, such as twig, pine cones, weatherproof berry picks or outdoor ornaments."
Fresh greenery will last indoors for up to two weeks. Since the air in our winter homes is very dry, Bent recommends misting the greens and replenishing the water daily and "keep the greenery away from direct sunlight and heat sources."
Holiday decorating is all about creativity, says Lenore Chartrand, owner of Heaven Scent Flowers and Gifts in Gimli.
"Don't be afraid to try different things," she says. "If you place a flower or piece of greenery somewhere and it doesn't feel right, by all means move it. Let it be a fun and relaxing experience."
And finally, says Sherrie Versluis, owner of the Preferred Perch, remember that decorating is for the birds, too.
"Many great products are available that not only please the birds but add a festive touch to the yard," she says. "Outdoor edible tree ornaments are a great way to decorate trees and to offer the birds a treat. Round balls of either black sunflower, peanuts or mixed seed with a built-in hanger and colourful festive ribbons attract black-capped chickadees, white- and red-breasted nuthatches, blue jays and many other birds." "Seed wreaths are a great gift for your bird-watching friends. Or try acorns made of suet and peanuts."
Don't forget to check out the Festival of Trees and Lights, Nov. 25-Dec. 11 at the Hydro Gallery in downtown Winnipeg (hosted by the Friends of Gardens Manitoba) for more great ideas on holiday decorating. Design your own festive arrangements or register at your local garden centre for workshops on creating wreaths and outdoor container displays.
Welcome your holiday guests in style.
Colleen.Zacharias@gardensmanitoba.com
Create this arrangement yourself
Materials needed
A large-scale bowl
Three four-inch potted paperwhites
Sheet moss -- enough to cover the width of the bowl
Some natural materials to complement your decor and create a woodland setting (large pine cones, white birch sticks and grape vine ball shown here)
A handful of rocks or pebbles
Steps
Add rocks to the bottom of the bowl so the potted plant does not sit in water.
Centre the potted paperwhites on rocks.
Add sheet moss, covering soil and container to make it look like the paperwhites are growing out of the moss.
Group similar objects together to give the appearance of a woodland garden.
