Twig Tips by Jodie

Pretty, Pretty Pots!!!

The holidays are upon us, and one of my very favorite things to do this time of year to get into the holiday spirit is to decorate with evergreen cuttings.  I run around with my pruners, trimming off short branches of any interesting plants I can find, then I pull the old dead flowers out of my outside pots (if I haven't already) and start sticking cuttings into it in some sort of organized fashion.  This is WAY better than looking at empty pots all winter and it can really add a lot of holiday cheer.

First thing you need to do is find something with a little height to put in the center of the pot.  Sometimes I use the branches/twigs of Red or Yellow Twig Dogwood, the lovely corky-barked Euonymus, or in this case, the end of a branch from a Wolf pine.  Next I place a few twigs of something that I have found that has berries, like Winterberry, Holly, Crabapple, or Hawthorn.  Even fake ones are OK to use if you get desperate. To finish the pot, I stick in a mix of evergreen cuttings, making sure that there is a nice mixture of colors and textures.  That is what makes it interesting.  Depending on the size of the pot, I will use as few as 2 different types, or as many as 4 or 5.  I just want it to look full and lush. Don't get stingy with the cuttings, they were probably free!  Stick the cuttings down into the pots far enough that they won't blow out when the first wind comes up.  I try to make sure there is some moisture in the soil, the cuttings seem to stay green longer.  When the pots freeze it seems to help secure them in place.  I have been known to drag my pots into a heated garage or room to thaw them out in order to do this.  Depends on the weather.....this year we have been lucky.  As of today, the soil is not even frozen yet, so you still have time to do this. 

This is not hard, I promise.  Anyone can do it.  Just follow these few basic guidelines and get a little creative.  You can add bows, spray paint some hydrangea blooms, the list goes on.  VOILA!!!!  Beauty where only dead flowers were but an hour ago!!!  Everyone have a great winter, I am signing off for a couple of months.  I will be back in the spring with a few more tips, I always have SOMETHING to say, just ask anyone who knows me.  Off to hug my beautiful Christmas tree!  -Jodie