Creating Christmas Outdoor Designs from Plants in Your Garden

Decided this year I'd make a set of outdoor Christmas planters from evergreen plants we have in the garden. Having made so many designs over the years, it's time to reuse  the accents and items I have saved and come up with a way to make inexpensive, lovely planters for this holiday season.

If you're like me, you probably have a box just like this....stashed away in the garage.

Given I live in Ontario, we don't have the same plants like the imported boughs (oregonea, princess pine, douglas fir or western cedar) and floral grade materials (eucalyptus, salal, magnolia). But there are so many other choices we can use to have a similar effect.

In this sample, I reused all our accents from the past 3 years. I added cuttings from plants such as:

1:  Boxwood

2: Yews

3: Junipers

4: Ivy

5: Euonymus

6: Birch (also reused from past years)

7: Dogwood

Other selections you can use too:

• Holly
• Ilex
• Spruce
• Sumac
• Hydrangea
• Alder
• Cedar
• Rose-hips
• Pussywillow

I pruned all the cuttings in ways to promote a balanced habit. Do not butcher the best parts of the plant in order to fill your planter. Think of thinning and adjusting shape. Just layer and remember your accents can hide blunt ends.

Don't forget:  the bottom branches off your live Christmas tree work great too!

Follow the directions on how to layer and place within your planter on one of my previous blog DIY posts and here...have fun designing.

Reuse and add anything that you have saved.

Use what works for you and you'll be able to make beautiful arrangements that are welcoming for this Christmas season!

Here I just added some artificial dyed magnolia stems for a punch of red!

Apart from buying these 3 red accents, designing these 3 outdoor creations didn't cost me one penny. All reused materials from years past and a few cuttings from the garden, these planters still look great!

Enjoy this Christmas season and perhaps plan for 2017's garden, by adding some plants which can carry you through designing Christmas planters for next season.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Save Your Money - Don't Buy Plant Supports

I can't help but be frugal. I hate waste and I dislike spending money needlessly. I rather save funds to buy more plants.

Here are some ways to promote waste diversion and help to support/stake plants:

1. Chop sticks. I love Asian Food and when we order take out, we ask for chop-sticks. I may not use them to eat dinner, but my plants benefit from them!

Now, we do use them for eating as well. We just give them a good wash before using them as stakes.

Because I am so busy in the spring with outdoor gardening, several of my houseplants stretch for light in the summer.  As the shade tree casts dimmer light in my living room, I sometimes forget to turn the plant and it winds up growing off to one side. Chop sticks are fabulous for that extra prop.

2. Stems and branches from pruning shrubs and trees:

A pony tail support of sorts, this grass took a beating one night from a nasty thunderstorm.  The grass was smothering the begonias beneath and they needed rescuing. In a few weeks the undergrowth will hide the binding. I used birch stems from a recent dead birch take down (you probably have some from your old winter planter creations, no?), they are great supports. Better than bamboo sticks. IMO anyway.

Tucked in behind, they do the trick!  You can use dogwood, pussy willow stems and any that are sturdy enough to bear the brunt of some wind. Tie them into a teepee formation. It will work great with sisal or raffia bindings.

3. Coat Hangers:

Now that my amaryllis has flowered, I patiently wait until leaves start to yellow and whither, to start the whole process again.

With a simple cut and twist, this ?-shaped plant support is soooo handy. From holding up cactus, to divisions, to orchids - it's been used a LOT. So easy to make.


4. Dead evergreens: ie Taxus (Yew)

Unfortunately, a large Taxus Yew lived here. To dig out yews, well - the retaining wall around it may have been damaged since the roots are really deep. So instead of cutting it from the base, we placed some pots around it and have grown Morning Glory's that are nicely covering and give visual interest.

I've seen dead trees miraculously transformed by Ivy, Clematis and Creepers. Bringing new life to what was dead is pretty cool.

5. Plastic Utensils: I added this one to just prove a point (you can use ANYTHING!)

Having removed baby plantlets from below, and repotted, this Haworthia needed a little propping up for a month or  so. A plastic fork works great!

What do you use?

Thinning Out Tomatoes

I grow tomatoes, specifically cherry and pear tomatoes in pots. Main reason, there is a HUGE Black Walnut tree situated about 20 feet away from the most sunniest spot of the garden. In another post, I'll explain why this is an issue, but growing them in pots hasn't been difficult. In fact, it's a huge bonus.

Somehow, with the fresh soil and compost (made from scratch) every year, compost tea, organic fertilizer and a dash of Epsom's salts in our watering cans - they fair really well and produce bumper crops. This summer's heat has made a huge impact too.

So much so - they need a haircut this time of the growing season.

Why?  Have a look:

Slightly overgrown, don't you think?

Reasons to thin out:

1. Tomatoes rippen and become really sweet with the suns rays. If there is an over-abundance of green growth, sheltering and casting shade on the fruit, well - this delays the ripening time.

Trying to find the cherry tomatoes is like trying to find Waldo. :) 

2. I don't know about you, but when you have to water pots every day - it becomes difficult to budget your gardening time and water reserves. Removing green mass on plants reduces the need for the water at the root level; not as many leaves = not as much water needed.

3. Cutting leaves off, forces new stem growth from the bud axil - joint.  New stem growth = more flowers. Leaves don't bear the fruit, stems do. This continues the cycle and keeps you supplied with more tomatoes!

5. Pruning increases ventilation and helps to promote open branching network. Powdery mildew and other diseases can become a problem if over-growth crowds and takes over.

6. Cherry tomatoes fall under what is known as the indeterminate category. They grow exponentially, almost vine like. They set fruit on side shoots and when you prune off leafy growth, this stimulates more side shoot development.

7. Pruning strengthens stems and also reduces a weight load that should only be for fruit. Stems will become thicker and will be able to bear the weight as it broadens in height and width.

8. Pollinators have an easier time pollinating flowers. Better access.

Where/what to prune:

• Overlapping leaves
• Yellowing leaves
• Leaves that are too close to the ground
• Leaves that are covering the ripening tomatoes
• Stems that are bent or damaged

 

Remove the leaf below stems emerging from the axil joint - this initiates more growth on the new little stem (like above), growing at a 45˙angle from the axil joint.

Below is a better view of how the axil stem grows at a 45˙ angle.

Just leave a little nib of leaf, so that you do not damage the main stem or axil joint.


Cut the leaves off at the bottom of the plant. Less splashing of soil/water on the base leaves, the better. This helps to prevent diseased leaves.

Even if you don't see a leaf, you can still see a bud at the axil joint. With the leaf removed, this bud will soon swell and become an axil stem.

Five minutes later, I had a 15gal pot full of leaves.

Much better. Sun and air filter through. Less green mass.

Where's Waldo?  So many more tomatoes to be seen now.

Healthy, non diseased leafy matter is welcomed in our compost!

In another few days, we get to enjoy the bounty!

DIY Bird Bath For the Garden

I have a tiny backyard, yet it's quite surprising how many birds frequent my little oasis.

I bought this tiny fountain and found a small sparrow bathing on the edge in the heat last week. This prompted me to do something.

Finding this great flower pot holder, I thought they would serve as great holders for a bird bath.

I went to the local Good Will and bought this pie plate for next to nothing.

I looked for more decorative plates, but I didn't know if the glaze on some cheaper dish-ware would be ok for the birds (possible chemicals) or tough enough to leave outside. So I kept to glass.  It's deep enough for a bird splash, not too heavy for the holder. Better to recycle and reuse something this easy to find. Placing it up high, if it breaks, ah...it's only a pie plate.

Ideal for a fence, I placed the holder this high:

Birds need good footing and a safe place to bathe. I bought flat stones from the dollar store, washed them and arranged enough to cover the bottom. They are ideal. Heavy enough not to spill out and smooth enough to keep easily clean.

The pie plate offers a ledge where the birds can wiggle dry and where I attached the bath there's ample get away space from any cat. High up for added protection.

Affordable and easy to install.

Level with the fence top, birds can easily hop in.

The sound of my little fountain attracts the birds and thus, I have made my little backyard an oasis for  my feathered friends as well.

Two on each side of my tiny garden and I get tons of visitors drinking and bathing.  One other aspect, if you get tired of keeping it as a bird bath, it can be a great feeding station instead.

Rectangular Outdoor Christmas Container

I love working with various shaped containers.

This one was fun to work on. Here's how:

Depending on your birch branch supplier, some are cut to specific lengths, others not. Cut to your desired height.

Don't worry if you had annuals or veggies in your container, just work out the hardest plant debris and loosen the soil a bit. Soil works just as well as sand. Sand is great for smaller containers. This large container won't budge in the wind.

For this design, I decided to make a line of birch. You could stagger them, or clump them in the middle. Be creative! Skewer the birch into the soil, making sure they are fixed down deep enough to endure wintery winds.

Begin by selecting several kinds of greens. Here, starting from the top left and going clockwise are: Princess Pine, BC Cedar, Oregonia and Green Boxwood. Use what you like. My combos just seemed to work well with the beige tone of the container. I cut the boughs into smaller sections, this gives more of a bulkier look to the design and it saves some money in the long run.

Begin by skirting the base with pine and then add layers of other greens as you go.

I've been making Christmas containers for a long time and recently, the selections of outdoor accents have increased exponentially. The most important factor: use what you like. I prefer more natural tones and I try to find product that will last me more than just one season. There's so much selection out there. I've used (clockwise) Magnolia stems, cones, pods, pussy willow stems, and artificial berries.

Hoping the postal worker will enjoy delivering the mail this Christmas season! The neutral and more natural tones will also carry this container well into February. I am hoping the pussy willow stems will begin to show their fussy flowers come March.