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|  | Queeriscaping ’Tis the Season Here we are, smack in the middle of the Holiday Season. One of my favorite things about this Season is the entire delicious decor: the tree, the poinsettias and boughs of pine. Many of us forego the natural cut greens because they dry out and get messy. I have to tell you how much this annoys me. Listen darlings; trees should not be made from fossil fuels. You should not have to buy a pine-scented candle to give your home that “Christmas” smell. If you choose wisely, you can have wonderful, fresh cut decor that will last through the season. By “through the season” I mean from the first week of December to the 1st of January. Holiday decor isn’t meant to be up for more than a month, it’s just not right! Here are a few basic tips on how to be successful with your “fresh” decor.
TREES: In my experience variety really doesn’t matter much. What matters is how long the trees have been sitting there. If you saw the lot go up before the 20th of November don’t buy your tree there. Generally speaking the tree has been dead a week before it gets to the lot, and if it sits on the lot 2 weeks before it goes into your house… you get the picture. When you pick out your tree, pull on the needles, if they’re not firmly attached, find another one. Before you take the tree home, ask the vendor to cut the trunk again. Trees take up water through the trunk, and if it’s been sitting there for a while, the sap has sealed off many of the water passing xylem cells. If it’s cut anew, it will hydrate much easier, and stay fresh longer. Finally, when you get it home, get it into water as soon as possible, and try to place it in a cooler area of your house. Say, near a window as opposed to a heat vent.
MIXED GREENS: There’s really only one thing to remember: cut greens will not last longer than 2 weeks inside your home. They are a great choice for decorating the exterior of your home as they last for weeks in the cold. They can be a great addition for “Special Occasion” decor, but should not be considered long term.
POINSETTIAS: Look for plants that have healthy green leaves as well as colored leaves. Keep these plants in a relatively warm spot in your house, and don’t let them sit in water. When the surface of the soil feels dry, water them until the water just flows into the liner.
Have a fabulous holiday lovelies: may all of your wishes come true.
Brandie Balken is a horticulturist in Salt Lake City
and can be seen at Cactus & Tropicals. | | |
by Brandie Balken