By Mary Jo Baur
Perhaps you've heard the expression "Shop in your closet before you shop in stores." The same applies when you are thinking of purchasing greens to decorate at the holiday season--look in your own yard or perhaps a friend's before you purchase greens from a florist or garden center. You may have some yews, boxwood, arborvitae, white pine or hemlock that you could prune and use the branches in your decorating scheme. If you bring them inside and they are not kept in water, they will dry out pretty fast in our heated homes, but if you need them for only a few days inside, it will work. Making a wreath to hang on your door or windows is not difficult, but it does take some time. An easier, quicker adornment is to make a swag, where you gather an assortment of greens together, tie them at the top and add a bow.
Another source of greens is to take the lower branches off your tree, if you get a fresh one, which I hope you do. It's better for the environment since Christmas trees are a sustainable product. You can use the extra greens around a punch bowl on your table or to add a festive note around the platter when you serve dinner. Adding a few sprigs around a mirror or picture frame adds a bright spot in your decorating. So have fun thinking of other places where you might use fresh greens. Outside in an urn or container is another beautiful way to dress up your home.
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