“Winterscaping” For Personal Happiness
This season there are many ways to use plants and evergreens to create a nicely decorated home, indoors and out. Simply put, plants make people happy and, as the cold, dark Winter descends, we can use all the happiness we can find! We can classify outdoor evergreen arrangements, garland and even, as a stretch, artificial trees in the house, as plants – why not? They are seasonal, botanical and make our homes appear welcoming and warm.
Making your own outdoor evergreen arrangements from boughs you source from a walk in the woods (be sure to have permission and cut responsibly) or from bundles from a great local garden centre is easy. Lay out all materials, including a sharp pair of hand clippers, and use the existing soil from Summer/Fall plantings in weather-proof pots. Once cut into smaller, size appropriate pieces, push the ends of boughs firmly into the soil. Be sure to cut a variety of branches (pine, cedar, balsam or the like) into pieces of various sizes and use multiple stems so the arrangements are full and able to handle weight of the snow. Once the “greening” is complete, the addition of pinecones, hydrangeas blooms, berries or even a jolly elf face personalizes your project. There are many good instructional videos online, if you wish a visual tutorial – check out ours on our YOUTUBE page or links found in our social media channels.
Fresh evergreen boughs can be brought indoors too; be sure to do so close to the holiday as
they last only 7-10 days in the warmth of our homes. Lay small branches across the mantle, as the runner on a harvest table, around picture frames or in a vase in the bathroom. Consider the style of your indoor decor and perhaps add pinecones, saucers of nuts in the shell, shiny ornaments, a potted cyclamen or poinsettia or strings of cranberries and popcorn. These touches will welcome your guests, make you smile and appreciate the small details in a life, enhancing your personal happiness this Winter.
By Vikki Whitney, Owner of Griffin’s Greenhouses
705-652-8638 or 1-877-647-4334
