Winter Gardening

“Bling” is the thing we bring home sparkling, shining and twinkling for the holidays. We love blingy things (in small doses) and this is the month to indulge our appetite for glitter, glass and gems.

But step back for a sec and consider your surroundings when decorating the exterior of your home. Often the most elegantly understated decorating accessories can be found in our own backyard (such as twigs, branches and berries), making them not only accessible but cost effective, too.

If it’s difficult to imagine how you might transform your pile of twigs into an outdoor work of art, consider contacting Robin Yeast of Robin’s Gardens. She is a mom of two and a stick sculptress extraordinaire (aka Garden Designer). Robin will come to your home with twigs in hand and create winter sculptures (in your existing garden pots) that will last until spring with a little care (and in below freezing temperatures). Robin’s Gardens charges by the hour plus there are special material costs (if you require purchased greenery). Expect to pay between $50 – 75 per pot.

Most of the material she supplies is cut from Crown Land just outside the city limits. You too can access government forests with an easy-to-obtain five dollar permit from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (the same type of permit can be used to cut a Christmas tree, as well).

Want a professional look? Aim to mix textures, colors and sizes of materials in three steps. First, search for birch (the hot look this year), baby aspen or red willow to stand tall in the centre of your pot. Look for twigs that are at least five feet long as they can be trimmed to fit. When choosing any twig type, be sure to cut more than you think you need. The more you can stuff in your winter urn, the better it will look.

Step two, cut shorter branches of coniferous trees such as lodgepole pine (easiest to find) and juniper (even better with berries) around the base of your pot to fill in the design. These branches may spill over the edge of the pot (like a trailing petunia) depending on the size and shape. Again, clip more than you think you’ll need.

Finally, add highlights such as rose hips, cedar, red dogwood and alpine huck to fill out your planter. You can always purchase these materials at a garden centre such as Plantation Garden Centre in NW Calgary if you cannot find them in the wild. Ensure your pots are filled with either sand or preferably soil to anchor your branches. When complete, pour some water over your pots to freeze the branches in place (they will last longer). You may need to replace branches here or there throughout the winter if they dry out due to above freezing temperatures.

You can also add your highlight materials to pre-made wreaths (they are labour intensive to build and inexpensive to buy). The wreaths at The Real Canadian Superstore cost only $10 and come with a few pine cones and berries attached but look like florist creations with the additions suggested above.

Holiday glitz has its place inside. Let nature stand outside with inexpensive, natural winter sculptures to take you through to the final melt of spring.

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