Evergreens hit the spotlight as soon as deciduous trees lose their leaves. Not that we don’t appreciate evergreens or conifers through the rest of the year, but as soon as leaf trees become naked, evergreens carry the load.
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We have always viewed evergreens as symbols of life and hope, because they remain green even through the darkest, coldest time of year. Although we are not sure, it is widely believed that Christmas became associated with evergreen trees in Germany and were given the name Tannenbaum.
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In the past, if you were not able to bring a full-sized Christmas tree into the house, you would cut a few fresh boughs and put them over the fireplace mantlepiece. The boughs would be tossed outdoors once they dried up and lost their scent.
The centuries-long tradition of cutting up boughs for holiday decorating is still alive and well. These days you can go to any box store, nursery or grocery store, and get an insert full of conifer stems, to be placed in your garden urn. Or if you are a wee bit crafty, you can easily go into your own backyard with a pruning tool and create your own festive arrangement.
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The following is a list of conifer choices favored for Christmas decorating:
Pines are the anchors for holiday decorating. Cut three to five stems about two feet long and place them in the rear of the container. Pines are highly fragrant and will remain green all winter. My favorite is white pine, but scotch and jack pine are just as impactful.
Spruce stems are finer textured than pines with shorter needles and stiff stems that make for easy decorating. I will often use a few tall spruce stems to support the weaker pine stems. Use the smaller spruce stems to fill the center of the container.
Cedars are the darling of Christmas decorating because of their wonderful fragrance. Their flat stems and needles take up little space in the arrangement and their lush green color provides just enough contrast to create an impact. The nicest cedar boughs come from the west coast, but cedars from your own backyard will do just fine.
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Yews are a dark green conifer with straight firm stems that make for easy decorating. Needles are long lasting with little or no fragrance. Use a few sprigs for filler, contrasting with the adjacent lighter evergreens.
Balsam fir is a fine textured conifer with soft, airy stems that are a natural in mixed arrangements. Needles are small and may be the first to drop when becoming dry. Balsam is very fragrant, easy to use, with stems that can be used as filler or accent.
Juniper stems are hard to find but worthwhile for their long-lasting fragrance and cute blueish berries.
Broadleaved evergreens such as boxwood and euonymus are easy to find in the backyard and a few stems will introduce texture to the arrangement. Ditto for Holly with its larger, dark green leaves and bonus red berries.
Use your creativity to discover interesting accents for your arrangements. Pinecones, red dogwood stems, dried hydrangea flowers or birch poles are easy choices, but don’t be afraid to add driftwood, worn out barnboard or rusty metal to the mix. A trip to the attic might reveal a box of tired decorations that will add interest to your creation.
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