5 Tips To Keep Your Christmas Greens FRESH LONGER
Evergreens have long brought freshness to wintertime, with their delightful scent and bright green color.
Whether you live in a grand Victorian home or a small, romantic cottage, the allure of fresh greens continues to enchant us, don't they? Keeping them looking lush and beautiful is not that easy, though. Here are my five BEST TIPS for for keeping your fresh holiday greens alive and luxurious longer.
Greens are not just pretty, they are often free for the taking {clipping.} Most of these photos are from a magazine feature I wrote for the holiday issue of Victorian Homes Magazine this year.
A variety of flowers and greenery will bring the fragrance of winter inside, as well as visual enchantment to your holiday home. Eucalyptus, juniper, holly, ivy, mistletoe, pine, rosemary all are beautiful twined into garlands, to layer over mantels, paintings and bookcases.
I love how my antique silver trays look when I add just a light layer of greens, clipped from the garden, and layered with fresh branches of eucalyptus. You could do this at home with any greens you can clip from your garden or neighborhood! A little natural touch like this is all you need to bring out the magic of the holidays at home.
I tend to use a combination of fake faux intertwined with fresh greens for the larger greens arrangements such as garlands, as it's very dry here where I live in California in December. But all fresh would be my first choice.
Crowned with rose leaves and fresh eucalyptus, the mantel in the guest room invites the eye to linger. I started this look off by putting down a slender faux garland, then tucking in branches eucalyptus and small sprigs of pine.
Small swags created from more clippings are tied up with silk chartreuse bows to decorate the candle sconces on each side of the gilded mirror. Since we have an orange tree in the garden, I often use oranges on mantels and buffets. But apples, pears, or pomegranates would look just as stunning!
MY TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR EVERGREEN SWAGS AND DECORATIONS FRESH:
1. CHOOSE NATIVE: Use greens that are native to your area, they will last longer.
Some long lasting evergreens that are perfect for holiday swags and arrangements:
- Boxwood
- Douglas fir
- Balsam fir
- Fraser fir
- Noble fir
- Scotch pine
Happy Decorating!
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WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE GREENS FOR CREATING GARLANDS AND SWAGS?
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Charlotte Des Fleurs
January 16, 2017
Hello Lidy, Thanks for all the great tips on how to keep Holiday Greens fresh. I worked my way through college as a florist and LOVE the smell of fresh flowers and greens.
Soak fresh flowers and greens in slightly warm water with a little corn syrup (to provide nutrition to the plant material) and a few spritzes of Clorox Clean Up. The bleach reduces algae build up in the stems while the soap makes the water a bit easier for the plant material to absorb. Most florists do this and then put the buckets of plant material in a cooler. I put mine outside overnight. Like you, I live in southern California so it is rarely freezing outside.
We did not have anti-transpirant “back in the day” so that is a great new idea for me!
LOVE your blog,
Smiles from Charlotte Des Fleurs