In
spite of 20 degree weather, members of the Tweed and District Horticultural
Society were definitely in the Christmas spirit as they listened to Conrad Grol
‘s talk about creating winter planters at the November meeting. Conrad, former
owner of Brighton Greenhouse gave many tips about making planters to decorate our
homes for the holiday season.
Rural
areas like Tweed offer a wealth of greenery…Conrad cautioned about asking
property owners permission before cutting branches from trees and bushes.
This
year Conrad used silver pails as the base for his planters. Place sand on the
bottom, add a piece of dry foam (wet foam will disintegrate) and top with more
sand and fill to the top of the pail. If the planter is going to be stationary,
the dry foam can be omitted.
Greenery
used….spruce, cedar, red pine, Austrian pine, scotch pine and jack pine…or whatever
you can find! Look for foliage with no brown spots. Birch “logs” can be used as
a focal point in a planter.
Different
coloured dogwood, thistles, ferns, cat tails, sedum, sumac seed pods, milk weed
pods and pine cones can all be used to add texture and interest to the planter.
If these accent pieces are too short, simply attach them to a skewer with
florist tape and insert into the foam or sand. This will also provide a variety
of heights within the planter.
If
you prefer more “bling” in the planter, Conrad suggested spray painting the
dogwood, thistles etc. Pine cones can be wired together in groups of 2-3 to
form a cluster and wired onto the greenery. Bows can also be wired on to the
greenery or the handle to add more colour.
The
greenery in planters will last during the holiday season; however if you are
making a small planter for indoors, Conrad suggested spraying with “Wilt Proof”
to prevent the foliage from drying out. This product is also recommended for
garlands and wreathes.
According
to Conrad, these beautiful planters will certainly welcome family and friends
to your home during the Christmas season!
COMING
UP….
November
15…Volunteer
hours for December, 2014-November, 2015 are to be submitted to Jean Clark.
Email hours to info@tweedhort.ca or leave hours at the Library.
November
28…Children’s
Program at Tweed Library…!0:30-12:30….making
Christmas decorations. Please register at the Library.
December
1 @
6 pm…Christmas Potluck….bring your favourite pot luck dish to share. Don’t
forget your plates, utensils and wine glass!!!
Bring
quarters to play “Quarter Frenzy”!
December
11
@12 noon….Christmas Luncheon at Club 213, Loyalist College
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