"very little talent" ???? I think you are very talented and very creative Trish - It's all just beautiful and festive and cheerful -

Vic said it all. I love all of it Trish.

I think I will go out with my clippers tomorrow and take cuttings from our big fir tree. Thank you for the nudge.

vic said:"very little talent" ???? I think you are very talented and very creative Trish - It's all just beautiful and festive and cheerful -

Very nicely done,Trish, now if I only had evergreens in my yard
Maybe some of the neighbors wouldn't mind if I took a few clippings.
Actually I bought a number of fresh boughs at a local nursery to add some "life" to my decorations .. and fragrance too.

You ladies are too sweet. Trust me, natural wreath making is not one of my skills. When I heard that I could just cram some branches in a grapevine form, I figured that was right up my alley! It almost looks like I know what I'm doing!

It is a fun and easy project, truly.

Great ideas.

Nice job, Trish! Looks pretty artistic to me, too!

I don't have evergreens in my yard, either. Usually my husband has to lop off a lower branch or two of the Christmas tree to fit it into the tree holder. I use those branches to decorate with. Also, they often trim lower branches at tree lots, too. They're always happy to give me all I want without charge. They usually have a pile of trimmed off branches just sitting there.

Karen

Good idea, Karen.

I noticed before we left AR that we have berries on our hollies this year. They could use a little trimming when we get back next week. Also we have some boxwoods that could use a haircut. Now if I could just find someone with evergreens.......

Great ideas on procuring greenery if you don't have your own!
I was so happy to see our hollies had berries this year! After the drought last year, the normal winter berries were sparse to none, giving the birds nothing to eat for the winter.

I could have harvested a whole lot, but I'd rather leave them for the birds. Also, holly for me doesn't last very long indoors. If I have to replace it often, it doesn't fit the "quick and easy" criteria anymore!

love the article! Great decorating.

Thanks, Dianne!

Trish, I noticed that the evergreens you used were either juniper or cedar. Aside from being decorative, they don't have any needles to loose, which makes cleanup after the holidays a breeze. I use these greens almost exclusively in winter decorating.

You are right about that, Larry!
Although, there is a small sacrifice of scent with the juniper. It isn't nearly as strong as what is typically used.

Yes, unfortunately, there is little scent. We compensate for that by using a bit of balsam fir garland in our decorating. It does make a mess eventually, but it's worth the bother just to inhale that wonderful fragrance.

In recent years our Christmas trees have been Douglas Fir. This year we got a Scotch pine, and it seems more fragrant.

As usual my husband had to chop off the lowest row of branches to fit it in the stand. I just use those branches to decorate, using cheap fake berries and ribbon.





Karen

Larry- I use my soy candles with essential oils of fir and cedar. Hey, if I can't grow it, at least I can still get the real scent!

Karen- very nice!

I use Yankee Candles, balsam and cedar scent. Really nice.

But my favorite Yankee scent is the sparkling cinnamon, which they only sell @ Christmas time.

Karen

Synthetic scents make Dave and I sick, which makes Yankee (and all candles, actually) off limits.
That's why I started making my own soaps, balms and candles years ago.
Sometimes I miss those fun scented fragrance blends, but I sure don't miss the headache that came with them.