December 19, 2001
Stillwater Gazette
Betsy Halden

Decorating with fresh holiday greens

As you look at holiday magazines and see the beautiful pictures of homes decorated with greens, berries, and bows, you may desire to have this in your home. However, you may feel overwhelmed. Only someone like Martha Stewart appears to have that kind of knack. Not so. With a few simple tips you too can decorate your home like the pros.

First, you need to understand your greens. As with cut Christmas trees, some species are better than others for indoor use. Outside the house, almost anything goes as long as temperatures stay near or below freezing. For indoor use, stick with species that have good needle retention like Douglas Fir, Eastern White Pine, Scotch Pine, and balsam Fir. The second thing to keep in mind is time. Cut evergreens do not last long without a water source. Roping, garlands, swags, and even wreaths will quickly dry out, discolor, and loose their needles, especially if near a heat source like a heat duct, wood stove, or fireplace. If you are entertaining and want that “just cut” look, you need to prepare the greens no sooner than a day or two before the event. If you want the “just cut” look throughout the holiday season, plan to replace cut evergreens every five to seven days. Or, think about using artificial greens instead.

Here are some simple instructions on how to create some favorite, fresh cut evergreen decorations. You can be creative and add trimmings such as pepper berries, pinecones, or small Christmas tree ornaments. You could nestle a small winter bird among the boughs. You can mix your varieties of greens. You can also create table centerpieces with florist oasis foam. The water will keep these fresh for two weeks or more. Be sure to water them at least every other day. All of the supplies are readily available at local craft and florist shops.

Roping To make evergreen roping. simply gather some boughs, usually the tips, and cut them into six inch pieces. Gather two or three pieces arranged together and with a wire spool (20-24 gauge wire) attach the evergreen pieces to a ¼ inch cotton rope. To help you, you may wish to attach the rope to a doorknob or other stationary point, and pull to keep the rope taut as you wire on your greens. Always cover the wire with new evergreen pieces.

Table Runners Table runners are easy to make. Simply cut your boughs to six inch lengths. You can use the tips. You will need heavy duty staples and some old ribbon, one to two inches wide. Gather two to three pieces of greens, arrange them on the ribbon, and staple them into place. Continue working down the ribbon. Remember to cover your work with new greens. Runners can be as long or short as you like.

Kissing Balls Kissing Balls have grown in popularity in recent years. They require lots of greens, but they are easy to make. Cut up boughs in six inch pieces. Use a Styrofoam ball between three and six inches in diameter, depending on how large a kissing ball you desire. Take a wire hanger from a hanging basket and run it through the center of the ball. Once through, bend the wire out along the ball to anchor it in place. hang the ball at breast-height for ease of working. Remove the bottom inch of needles from the evergreen pieces, and insert them into the Styrofoam ball. Starting at the top and working down, insert the pieces. Next decorate the ball with ribbon and other holiday decorations as desired. Kissing balls hung outside can last until March. Inside they will stay fresh looking for one or two weeks.

I wish you all peaceful and loving holidays.

Betsy Halden is a Master Gardener with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. University of Minnesota Extension Service materials were consulted in the preparation of this column. You can reach Betsy Halden at eahalden@comcast.net