Winter container
It’s late January, and it is COLD outside. Not too many
creatures stirring outside these days. Plants and a lot of other vegetation are
hibernating right now. I like outdoor decorations, even simple ones year round.
Hmm, what to do during Michigan’s winter months?
I have some proven ideas to share with you. For many
years I have turned to using fresh greens like pine and douglas fir branches as
a base. They stay green for most of the winter and typically need to be trimmed
around the end of March. In the photos below, I used some boxwood from my own
shrubs.
I stick them straight into the dirt before it freezes. In
addition, I use decorative branches like birch or dogwood for height. I usually
purchase them at a nursery like Bordine’s because many of the stems they sell
have sparkle and glitter applied to them.
I also use gold
and silver plastic ornament balls glued to slender sticks during Christmas in
the arrangements as well. I add lighted spheres to the mix, or strings of mini
lights no longer than 50 lights in length. The spheres can be purchased at
Michael’s or Target, but I get mine at Bronner’s in Frankenmuth. They are
electric, so you will need access to an outlet nearby. They come in clear, red,
green or multicolor and add a pretty winter glow after the Christmas lights are
gone.
The following video represents a similar way to decorate,
although they are more elaborate than mine. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wyA9z5UeNo
