Twigs and branches

 Nature is often brought indoors at Christmas time.  I think natural materials make the Christmas season warmer and more homey not to mention thrifty.   What can be done with simple materials is limited only by ones imagination. I always have some aspect of my garden indoors or on my front step for the Christmas season.  This year's creations are below.

 I've been nursing these hydrangea bunches for weeks.  The poppy pods are always there and  keep getting new friends added. I love them with the dark outside as a backdrop.

 Outside on my front step - an arragangement of broom, pine, cotoneaster and goatsbeard stalks.

 On the other sideof my entrance is an arrangement of  the same materials with a few twig stars spray painted gold. I'm a little concerned what will happen to them when we have a great gust of wind. Falling stars?

In the living room is a stark and twisty arrangement of branches from my daughter's garden with the addition of two clusters of fake berries for a splash of colour.  I'm not sure where the third bunch have disappeared.
 
I'm not only thinking about branches and twigs for decorations.  I'm still toying with different ideas for my new masterpiece I want to hang over my mantle.  Here are my inspiration shots:

 This is what I see when I look through  my family room window.  Yep, I live in a subdivision.  The big maple outside the window is a great privacy screen in the summer and fall, but in winter it is stark and we are on display. While having tea the other morning I noticed the great lines of the tree in the TV screen which is opposite the window. 

What I loved about this shot was the minimal lines reflected.  All the visual clutter outside was eliminated.  This is how I wish I painted - paired down and minimal.  As you can see I'm still at the inspiration stage.

Welcome

When you love pattern and decoration as much as I do, the Christmas season leads to great temptation to consume. If I wasn't constantly telling myself you don't need that, I could drop hundreds of dollars every time I go shopping . It seems that even supermarkets have become places of temptation for me.

I try to make do with what I've gathered up over the years. I move things to a different place each year so it appears new. I've also begun to look around me and come up with new ways to use things for decoration. My back garden is a treasure trove of colours and textures for Christmas. Join me as I get my natural decorations ready.

Lots of spiky broom

Mugo pine, dried Goat's beard and branches of Spirea

Cotoneaster, boxwood and yellow cedar

One artificial Amaryllis never lets me down

Rhododendron leaves and Goat's beard stalks

Looks impressive. So many ways you can go. Cut, arrange, rearrange, stand back, arrange some more, look for the perfect spot in the house that needs to say welcome. Place it and look on with satisfaction.

Welcome to my home

First it was in the front porch but I decided the front step needed something, now it is covered in snow.

My white and gray kitchen definitely needs a shot of colour. My first Christmas card from our friends in Germany completes the composition.

My Ikea bowl makes a nice resting place and Carolyn Honey Harrison's painting provides the perfect backdrop. Needless to say the flowers are not from my garden this time of year. They're recycled year after year and might appear anywhere.


A few rose hips that were left on the bushes makes a nice accent with my white candles. I was one short as you can see. This will be rectified eventually.

This one makes a great addition to the lovely new birch tabletop my handyman husband Don just made me for Christmas.

You will have to imagine the music, apple cider and good cheer.