Garden fresh holiday ideas from P. Allen Smith
Bring the outdoors inside to ceate a winter welcome for your get together
The winter brings about major changes in the garden. Across the country some gardeners are preparing their trees and shrubs for ice and snow, while in my neck of the woods those who procrastinated are still getting fall bulbs into the ground. No matter where you garden there’s no doubt that the holidays are fresh on your mind. This is a great time of the year to think about bringing the garden indoors.
In my new book, "Living in the Garden Home," I devote a whole chapter to winter projects that help us to blur the lines between inside and out and there are even more projects at my Web site, or my new YouTube channel. Right now, I’d like to share with you just a couple of ideas that will bring a winter welcome to your next holiday get together.
Amaryllis bulbs
Lets start with Amaryllis, a big bulb that packs a punch. What I like to do is start amaryllis bulbs in nursery pots or ceramic containers. Once they bloom I transfer the bulbs into a more decorative pot. During the holidays I like to top the pot with evergreen and berries. Amaryllis come in a wide range of colors but for a holiday splash try using red.
What you'll need
- 20 Amaryllis bulbs, all same variety, we used a red color
- 1 x utilitarian low bowl such as a glazed ceramic pot
- 1 x decorative bowl such as a silver punch bowl or other Potting soil, preferred brand is ProMix by Premier
- Bundle of cut greenery such as juniper, cypress, arborivita, or fir
- Bundle of cut holly branches with red berries
- Watering can
- Pruners to cut ends of branches
Directions
- Fill a low glazed bowl with potting soil
- Packing in the bulbs “shoulder to shoulder”
- Watering them in and keep in a location where they get plenty of sunlight but are away from drafts (such as air vents and doors)
- When the bulbs bloom, move then into the decorative container and top it with cut greenery and holly boughs with red berries
Paperwhite bulbs
Amaryllis aren’t the only bulb I grow this time of year. Paperwhites are a long time favorite which makes sense because these fragrant beauties are part of the same family as the daffodil. Each fall I plant thousands of daffodils in my garden on what we call Daffodil Hill. The display in the spring is fantastic! But why wait for spring when you can pot up paperwhites now and enjoy the fragrance and beauty of narcissus in your home during the coldest months of the year. You can think of it as a preview of good things to come in the garden.
These are perhaps the easiest bulb to grow and a great project for getting kids involved in gardening. Pick any “soil” medium from sand or potting soil to gavel or decorative rocks. Nestle the bulb root side down and keep it moist, but not soggy, and in a matter of no time you’ll see the plant pushing up out of the bulb. For a more naturalistic approach I use lichen covered twigs and raffia ribbon to stake plants that may become long and leggy.
You can also find forced bulbs for sale this time of year and if you do, consider dropping the nursery pots into terra cotta containers and clustering them on a decorative tray. Add greenery, berries, pinecones, and candles for a lovely center piece or entry hall arrangement.
What you'll need
- 4 x 6” nursery pots of paperwhites blooming (pot size may vary and that’s ok, just make sure to adjust the size of the terra cotta pots needed to fit the nursery containers)
- 4 x 6” terra cotta pots (see above re: nursery pot paperwhites for terra cotta pot size)
- 1 x decorative serving tray
- Bag of assorted pine cones (available at floral supply store)
- 12 green Granny Smith apples (grocery)
- Bundles of cut greenery such as: pine, Juniper, Cypress, cedar
- Lichen covered twigs
- Raffia string/ribbon
- Scissors for cutting RaffiaPruners for cutting twigs to size
- Potting soil, preferred brand is ProMix by Premier
- 4 x sheets of sheet moss
- 4 x LED pillar lights
Directions
- Purchased pre-potted forced paperwhites in nursery pots
- Drop them nursery pot and all into terra cotta containers
- Cluster terra cotta pots onto of a decorative tray
- Make this indoor garden festive with greenery and other accents such as apples and pinecones, perhaps even candles if you planned to use this during entertaining
- Just a reminder, use LED candles and not open flames around live and dried materials
- Complete the project by adding additional top dressing to newly placed terra cotta container of paperwhites by adding sheet moss and lichen twigs
- If your plants need additional support you can tie the stalks of the paperwhites to with raffia to the lichen covered stems which makes for a more natural look
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