Decorating for the holidays? Look no further than your garden

There are many types of greenery that you can grow that can be used to decorate your home for Christmas. Boxwood, Holly, Cedar, Smilax, Juniper, Rosemary, Mt. Laurel, Ivy and the list goes on. Bringing greenery from your garden into your house to decorate is a tradition that has been used since colonial times. Using fresh greenery and seasonal fruits, nuts and berries still has appeal today.

Of all the greenery available, boxwood is one of several of my favorite shrubs to use. The first year I was married I cut boxwood from the yard of our rental house and made a wreath for our front door. I had read how to do this from a book on Colonial Williamsburg. Today I still use boxwood greenery to make our home festive at Christmas.

There are several different types of boxwoods; American, English, and Korean crosses are my preferences. Because of boxwood blight, I tend to shy away from telling people to plant English boxwood, though I have some English boxwoods in the garden that are pretty and healthy. To help keep my boxwoods robust, I use this time of year to prune boxwoods and bring the greenery inside to use in many different ways to decorate.

To prune my boxwoods, I cut some branches deep inside of the plant. This practice opens up the boxwood and lets air and light inside the shrub. I was told a long time ago that if you don’t see some new growth coming from the inside the plant, your plant is not as healthy as it could be. This is why you need to cut some longer pieces and have a looser canopy. You might have a hole when you do this but if you do not take too much in one place, the hole will fill in as other branches move into that spot.

Now when I have these nice pieces of boxwood, they can be used to make a garland, a boxwood tree or simply in a vase of water with some red berries. A few years ago, I saw a wonderful picture of a boxwood tree and I have made one several times since. You take oasis or floral foam and cut the pieces to make a triangle shape like a tree. I usually use about 4 pieces of oasis but you could make one larger or smaller. Soak the oasis until it is completely saturated and then cut to make a triangle shape structure. Cut small sprigs of boxwood and put into the oasis. Boxwood lasts a long time in wet oasis so you can do this in early December and enjoy it through the holidays.

Eastern red cedar is another form of greenery that is often used in decorating. (Where I live, as I ride through the country side I see volunteer cedars coming up all along a fence row. This is the gift left behind by birds sitting on the fences). Cedar is known for its aromatic fragrance, a fragrance associated with Christmas. Cedar can be used in many ways. Simply placing it down the center of the dining table or placing it on the mantle as a back drop before adding Christmas balls or other decorations. I use cedar to anchor a Christmas decoration like a wooden Santa, brass reindeers or in a container behind some angles.

Another wonderful shrub or tree to use during the holidays is holly. Branches of holly are one of the most used yuletide decorations, with their shiny dark green leave and bright red berries. Why not have a holly bush in your garden that can provide bright red berries for you? Most hollies are evergreen, but some are deciduous. Some have an abundance of berries and others have leaves that look like they are polished because of their sheen.

There are many different hollies so I asked two people who use holly in arrangements which ones they liked best. Libbo Wise thinks everyone should have a winterberry holly in their garden. She loves the profusion of berries on each branch and declares that they add a special touch to any arrangement.

John Burnett of Roebuck Garden Center says Burford, Warren red, and Nellie Stevens are three heavy berry producers that he chooses for arrangements. Liberty is another that happens to have darker green leaves than most other hollies which makes the berries stand out even more.

Nandinas are another easy-to-use shrub which is also easy to grow. I like the old-timey variety that has dark green leaves and bright red berries. I like the foliage because it will lay flat in places where I need a green to use as a base or under other greenery. Many of the newer varieties of nandina have leaves that turn red as the weather cools.

Smilax is an evergreen vine that is spectacular to use in all kinds of ways in the home. I always cut some from my sister’s garden when visiting her or get it from my friend Harriett. I like to drape it over a mirror in the front hall or put it down the center of the table and add camellia blossoms when they are blooming. Ivy can be used in a similar way if you have long pieces not attached to the ground or a tree.

Wreathes, garlands, swags, and centerpieces are a tradition at Christmas and making them with fresh greenery adds an elegant touch to the home. There is no limit to how you can put different greenery together to make a wonderful display. You are only limited by your creativity.

Remember, pruning in the winter is a good time to shape your shrubs and use the clippings that you cut to decorate. It is nice to prune at Christmas and share the extra greenery with your Church, neighbors or friends.

Betty Montgomery is a master gardener and author of “Hydrangeas: How To Grow, Cultivate & Enjoy,” and “A Four-Season Southern Garden.” She can be reached at bmontgomery40@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Decorating for the holidays? Look no further than your garden