User Name
Password
 |
|
       |
New Roses, Compost and Grasshoppers Epazote, Gotu Kola and St. John's Wort Central Texas Fall Planting Guide Gardening for Birds and Butterflies How to grow Apples in Central Texas Problems growing Tomatoes in hot weather Herbs and Late Spring Gardening Tips
|
Plants for Fall Decorations Another great choice is the American Beautyberry that grows in most of the forests around Rockdale, Texas. It's berries are a bright pink-purple and this year the crop looks great. The best way to make the berries hold is to cut the stems at an angle, split them with a knife or sharp scissors a couple of inches above the cut, and put the ends in water mixed with floral preservative. Let the water completely evaporate and when the leaves wilt, pick them off and use the leafless branches covered with berries in your fall decorations. Another native choice is the Devil's Claw. (pictured above) This large branching weed has a distinctly fragrant pink and gold flower that can lead you to them if you are hunting them in thick brush. The claw is a bizarre pod 5-6 inches long with a hook that dries very hard and then splits to make an interesting antler-like decoration. If you are drying flowers, such as rosebuds, sunflowers, or herbs, be sure to pick them at their prime and store in a warm, dry, dark area for a few days or weeks. Poke the stem of open flowers through a screen or cheesecloth stretched over a bucket to make them hold their open, natural look while they dry. Spray with water before arranging to keep them from shattering, and then spray with a fixative available at craft stores when finished. You can buy a glycerin clear soap-making kit, fill the mold one-quarter full, let the soap firm up, add a dried flower, and add more soap. If you have any large okra pods left over, let them dry and spray paint them with different colors. A straw basket of painted, dried okra pods or several stalks in an earthen vase look great. Cut grape vines and soak in water for a day to make them pliable enough for your projects. Add nuts, fresh fruit, and winter squash to your arrangements to create the impression of bounty for Thanksgiving decorations. Don't forget the colorful small gourds. I grow a small orange type that looks just like a small pumpkin and looks great painted or put in a basket for a conversation piece. They are a much better choice than the mini-pumpkins because the seed is less expensive and the shelf life is much longer. If you've got lots of colorful peppers still in the garden, dry them as you would flowers and string them on a light wire with colorful beads or seed pods.
|
Subscribe to our on-line Newsletter by sending us your E-mail address here.
What are the lastest Landscaping Trends How to Plant Fruit and Nut Trees How to care for Holiday Plants How to care for Mother's Day Gifts What are common Shrub Diseases
|
|
|
| Feature Articles | Feature Articles | Featured Articles |
| Read all my Articles on E-how.com | Read all my Articles on Gardenguides.com | Read all my Articles on Examiner.com |
 |
 |
 |
| Copyright © 2009. The Big Lump Gardener. All rights reserved. |
| Home | Find an Article | Ask a Gardening Question | Privacy Policy | My Favorites | Blog | Contact Us |
Fall decorating in the home can be fun. Not only do we have a great choice of natural Texas grasses and foliage for home decorating, there is still time to plant of few of your own. My favorite grass is the native Little Bluestem. It can be cut while it is a nice blue-green and it dries to a burnt orange that is perfect for fall decorations.
