Evergreens from the garden bring life and hope to our festive decorations. Their soothing green makes a soothing backdrop to any bright and cheerful decor, and reminds us that while all is bare and dormant in the garden, this vibrant color encourages us to look forward to spring’s fresh regrowth.
Some of us put the decorations out in early December and get fed up with them by Christmas, so pick them up right after. But the more traditional Scottish way is to keep your horses and start remodeling the house now.
What Scot wouldn’t want to enjoy them over Hogmanay and Ne’erday as well? And I think it’s funny when the family gets together just before Christmas and we decorate the house together.
Evergreens around the house and for the festive feast don’t stay fresh forever, so it’s time to choose what you want from the garden and put it in a difficult environment for greenery. In this way, the leaves retain their scent for a few days and should only wither when we no longer need them. Who wants to spend Hogmanay sucking on fallen needles and brittle leaves?
So which of our garden plants are good performers? Holly tops the list as the waxy leaves retain moisture for a few days, although they can lose their luster in a hot, dry room.
I like to choose thicker branches or stems because they retain more moisture and last much longer than small branches that wilt quickly.
Although they’re great for lighting up on the Christmas pudding. Do you have your Madeira with the pudding?
I encourage evergreens to stay fresher longer by placing them in a jar or vase of water, just like all cut flowers. Wet sand or moss also works well.
My ivy rarely blooms here, but thanks to the mild fall this year it’s studded with tiny, fluffy blooms. They will put on a great show winding around wooden pillars in our main room. The display will not last as long as the outdoor decorations, but the leaves will survive if brought in just before the celebrations.
Garden conifers do well too, but choose branches that won’t spoil the overall shape of the bush. And choose species with softer needles that don’t shed quickly, like pine, fir, or cypress, rather than the very prickly junipers that dry on January 6 and release heaps of sharp needles.
There are several evergreen herbs that beautifully decorate the festive table. But more on that next week.
plant of the week
Kale, Dwarf Scotch Curled, is quite nicely covered in frost or snow. To enjoy the best sparkle, pick after dark with a headlamp, even if your fingers go numb. Not only will it give you a lot of harvest now, but it will also produce small side shoots in spring that are tender and tasty. Robust and reliable, this kale is delicious and full of flavor; It goes great with all winter dishes, not just haggis.
