The Christmas season for 2018 was officially under way when Penny Stewart spoke about getting Christmas planters ready for the holiday season at the November meeting of the Tweed and District Horticultural Society. Penny is a Director of the District 3 OHA and a member of the Gananoque Horticultural Society. Her lively and entertaining talk certainly put the members in the holiday spirit!
Penny’s talk was entitled, “Cheap and Cheerful Holiday Decorations on a Shoestring Budget” and her presentation was filled with numerous creative and inexpensive ideas for members to use in their Christmas decorating.
Your own garden is the best source for your holiday decorations….greenery-jack pine, white pine, cedar, red and gray dogwood, blue spruce. The container/pot can be spray painted to give it a festive look. You can use a variety of greenery or just one kind….the choice is up to the individual and the look you want to achieve.
Seed pods, pine cones, fern fonds, milkweed pods and even zebra grass give a natural look to a planter. Dollar store decorations can be added to the arrangement or it can be totally natural…..again personal choice. A good tip Penny shared was using balls attached with glue to barbecue skewers…..this will hold the balls in place during the season.
Penny shared some hostess gift ideas during her presentation. Many of us love giving amaryllis bulbs as hostess gifts…after all we are gardeners! However, most of us simply put the box containing the bulb in a gift bag, attach a tag and present it to the recipient! Penny took this gift one step further….presoak the soil., leave 1/3 of the bulb exposed above the soil, add remaining oil, place a serviette or coffee filter with a hole cut in the center for the bulb on top of the soil (this will act as a barrier), add decorative beads or tiny pine comes on top of the “barrier”. The barrier will keep the soil in place when watering. Balls, bows, and pine cones attached to a skewer can also be added for truly festive look.
Paper whites can also be done in a similar way and the pea gravel can also be sprayed gold to rest on top of the barrier.
Penny recommended using coated wire when making door swags to prevent scratches to the door. Simply use 3-4 evergreen boughs for the bottom and then use shorter boughs for the top of the swag. Adding lavender to cinnamon sticks gives a lovely scent. Berries, balls, ribbon etc can be added to the swag.
Sources for decorating on a shoe string….local thrift stores, garage sales in the fall, your own garage and garden shed, dollar stores, your own garden and even the roadside!!! Penny definitely showed the members that holiday decorations can be created “on a shoe string” and look stunning!
The AGM was held at the meeting. The financial report was presented and approved. The slate of officers was presented for 2019.
COMING UP…
December 4…Christmas Pot Luck Dinner @ 6 pm. Bring your favourite pot luck dish, dessert, plate, utensils and wine glass. There will be the annual power point presentation of the club’s activities throughout 2017. Pins will be presented to qualifying members for their years of service to the club. Bring quarters to play “Quarter Frenzy”….always a lot of fun!
Volunteers are needed to help set up for the dinner. Meet at the library at 1:00 on December 4th.