Congratulations to Samantha O. in NYC, the winner of the fresh evergreen Colonial Wreath from P. Allen Smith and Berry Family Nurseries. I'm sure she will appreciate some greenery in the big city.
How come I feel like a winner too? Funny how I gave something away, but I received something so very, very nice in return. To avoid being spammed during giveaways, I always ask that the entrant give a short reply. This time I asked about how you decorate for the holidays with gatherings from the garden and nature.
So many replies with soooo many different natural decorations.
Even better, the little stories you all included about holiday traditions that featured mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles, children, friends, neighbors and military members. It goes to show you that although we may worry about the commercialization of Christmas and holiday "creep", most of us count the time spent with those we love as most memorable.
I thought I would make a list of all (yes, I read every one of your entries) the natural bounty from all corners of the country, that you use to make the holidays more beautiful and meaningful:
- pine cones (the most popular)
- acorns
- pine boughs
- grapevine
- twigs
- holly sprigs
- fir branches
- Spanish moss
- cranberries
- orchids
- cedar
- red dogwood branches
- sage
- lemons
- pebbles
- shells
- boxwood
- blue spruce
- rosemary
- Osage oranges (horse apples)
- palm fronds
- nandina
- driftwood
- bark candles
- red peppers
- camellias
- magnolia leaves and pods
- rosehips
- corn husks
- birch
- eucalyptus
- yew
- mock orange
- dried hydrangeas
- juniper
- prickly pear pads
- mistletoe
- sand dollars
- nuts
- pineapple
- ivy
- pepperberries
- peanut butter and apples for birds
- redwood seed pods
- bay leaves
- poinsettias
- "cinnamon sticks" from ferns
- and does macaroni count?
Do you use something nature-y not featured on this list?
