Deck the House with Greens and Fragrance
Now that the gardening season is winding down and the Holidays are fast approaching we can turn to enjoying greenery indoors. The tradition of decorating with cut boughs is centuries old and was probably begun to ward off evil spirits and mask less pleasant odors.
Balsam, for instance, in the language of herbs, was a symbol of warm friendship and holly represented steadfastness. For many of us the scent of balsam evokes memories of visits to the tree lot to choose exactly the right tree followed by a family decorating party including lots of fragrant popcorn and hot chocolate.
Nowadays, there are dozens of colorful and fragrant greens on the market. Plump Rose Hips, Holly, Bittersweet, Pepperberry and Winterberry in glowing pinks, oranges and reds brighten the days. Pine, Eucalyptus, and especially Cedar perfume the air.
Adorning your home can be an adventure in creativity for the whole family. Consider allowing each family member to decorate at least one space all on their own any way they like. Go on a family outing to your favorite nursery (Linder’s would be a great choice!), look over the selection available there and hold a brainstorming session for the best decorating ideas. The results may surprise you!
Deck the halls with Kissing Balls!
Looking for something unique, fun and long lasting? Kissing Balls are the answer. They’re perfect for indoors and outdoors. Do you have an empty shepard’s hook from the summer? Kissing balls are the perfect fit!
- They’re made with an oasis ball for the base and ribbon wrapped around to hang it.
- Next fill with noble, princess pine, or any other winter green you like.
- Accent with white pine, incense cedar, coned cedar, or blueberry cedar.
- Add berries or eucalyptus for color and ta-da!
Oops!! I Still Need Something For…
Still looking for last minute gift ideas? Remember that real gardeners think about gardening all year long. Tuck a few home made muffins and some instant mixes for soup into a nice new terra cotta pot or a decorative basket. Add a few simple hand tools or a sturdy pair of gardening gloves. Gardening books or magazine subscriptions are always welcome. A garden diary or calendar would be a good choice. Or, if you just can’t decide what your favorite gardener would like best, you’ll never go wrong with a Gift Certificate to his or her favorite garden center. Top it all off with a big fluffy bow and a few sprigs of fragrant greenery and you’re done!
Bird Baths and Feeding
As the growing season winds down, there is time to enjoy other backyard delights. Inviting birds into our gardens can add color and motion and outright fun to an otherwise monochrome landscape. Provide several feeders at various heights around the yard and keep them filled with a wide variety of high qualities feed. Sunflower in all its forms, peanuts, thistle seed, cracked corn, millet and suet are all good choices. To prevent disease, clean feeders regularly with soapy water and bleach and rinse well.Clean open water is probably even more important than the regular free breakfasts to birds. They can and do get water to drink by eating snow but it takes valuable energy for their bodies to warm the ice to body temperature. Birds do bathe, even in very cold weather, since clean plumage in peak condition helps them keep warm. Birdbaths can be kept at 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit even in deep winter by using immersion heaters, or those containing built-in heaters. Be sure to use an exterior cord and plug and make sure all equipment is waterproof. (Birdbaths and their accessories also make great Holiday gifts!)
Birds can survive Minnesota winters without our help, but the vivid flash of cardinals feeding in the dawn is a wonderful excuse for a second cup of coffee on a snowy winter morning!
For those interested: Cornell University has an Ornithology program, which invites citizens to participate in Project Feeder Watch. This involves observing your feeders two days in a row, twice a month from November through May and reporting the numbers of the various species you see to Cornell. Results are used to monitor numbers of endangered species, migration patterns etc. Sign up by writing Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca NY, 14850, or on the web at http://birds.cornell.edu/
May the Peace and Promise of the season bloom for you and yours this Holiday and all through the year to come!