Using greenery and pine cones in our outdoor areas!

For festive decorations for your outdoor areas this season, go no further than your own garden.  Take a look around and you’ll notice that much is green out there and can be used to fill in spaces amongst your other holiday decor.  Just see what our favorite Flea market Gardeners have done with their garden greenery!

Jeanne Sammons

Jeanne said,” Pine greenery! Just want to share some of that ‘pine greenery’ I did this weekend. A couple of volunteer friends along with my hubby filled our small town pots and also this old green wagon at the Heritage Park Garden. Pinecones, pine and a few curly willow branches and this old barnwood tree that my hubby built last year.

My hubby made ‘L’ shape out of same barnwood trunk and we tucked it under a bale of hay from Fall decor … yes, the log is there to help stabilize… hubby says he had drilled a couple holes in bottom ‘L’ for tent stakes but since bale of hay was available, we did not use them”

Jeanie Merritt

Jeanie Merritt says, “I do buy some things at the store to decorate with but my favorite thing to use is greenery from the gardens, oven dried fruit and natural things… Cut boxwood sprigs stay crisp and green for many many days..

Five years ago I planted my own boxwood bushes and I have been delighted ever since… Cut some this morning ( shook the ice and snow from the clippings) and added it to several places in my home…I like the outcome…THANK YOU BOXWOOD!!! It doesn’t take a whole lot to accomplish a fresh Christmasy atmosphere with a few colorful bulbs, some dried fruit, and a few sprigs of boxwood!”

Marsha Scharmer

Elizabeth Hayduk says, “In our area Lowe’s and Home Depot put branches that are cut off Christmas trees–per customers’ requests–into boxes. They make them available for free to whomever wants them. I get some every year and use them to decorate the exterior of our home, two columns, three sconces, and our mailbox, add some large red bows, and weather proof Christmas balls. It gives our home a Victorian-look–classic and classy.”

Laurie Schindler

“I love to use my planters and natural materials from my yard, too! This is an old butcher kettle on my front porch.” Laurie Schindler says.

Lauri Schindler

Greens We Love,…and for future years, why not plant some!

• Pine
• Boxwood
• Juniper
• Cedar
• Eucalyptus
• Holly
• Redwood
• Spruce
• Manzanita
• Pyracantha
• Princess Pine
• Bay Laurel
• Noble Fir

Sue Langley and her granddaughter, Denelle, play with garden greens

Karin Lambert

Karin Lambert says, “Last weekend I picked greens from our backyard and used a wagon wheel for the wreath base. Also wired in pinecones and an antler. I tried it with a bow attached but it seemed to unnatural so left it without a bow 🙂 so fun, I’d much rather make my own than buy them.

The bow I was using was burlap actually, I just tried it in a few different places then liked it better without.”

Becky Norris

Becky Norris says, “This is my little coal cart filled with more of the cedar greenery and a cute bobbing snowman with a red, white and blue hat. This one also has lights and twinkles at night.”

Karen Settles

Karen Settles says, “My childhood sled is ready for Christmas . . I can’t believe I have had this in the rafters of the garage for years and never got it out to decorate it . . oh, well, let’s just say there are a LOT of things I never thought to do until I found FMG! I love the inspiration I find here and the way it makes me come up with ideas of my own!”

Jessie Sam says, “I spray painted some pinecones with leftover spray paint and put them in an old rusty metal cake stand. I placed them on the chair painted bright yellow to brighten my porch up. They look like flowers!”

Margie Ann says, “This is the basket of cones I am working on with one of my grands.”

Tips:

• Keep It Moist, treat greens with an anti-desiccant spray (sold at nurseries) This seals in moisture.
• Fresh greenery will last indoors for about two weeks and longer outdoors. Mist with water daily.
• To process greenery you plan to put in water, treat the cuttings as you would flowers and first recut the stems at a 45-degree angle with pruners so more water can be absorbed.
• If you use pine cones indoors, bake them on a foil covered cookie sheet at a low temp (225º) for 20 minutes. This will crystallize the sap and kill any bugs.
• The smell of fresh cut evergreens is heavenly,…use some by your front door!

Laurie Barnhart’s simple pine cone garland

The cording Terry used for her garland

Rose Fields’ simple pinecone swag…easy!

Rose Gazarek

Rose Gazarek says, “Pine cones dress up a display area. I put apples and pineapples on display to symbolize hospitality.”

Meet “Galvin the galvanized snowman!” Ammie Peters created this fun guy, she made his body out of old galvanized buckets and used a wind turbine for his head. She added pine cones, some faux greenery and berries to dress him up for the upcoming holiday season.  Ammie says, “I got the turbine on a junking road trip for $5.”

Terry Barnhart I used vines from my yard. An egg basket holds pine cones collected through the years.  I painted the old tin..left some of the old shine. See the owl… it’s handmade.