Now is the time to harvest the last materials from your cutting garden, or gather any branches or mosses. They make a nice addition to your tablescapes or mantle, and can look good through the winter holidays, with proper care.

FIRST: fill your sink or bath with soapy water-- too warm to drink, too cold to take a bath in. Thoroughly rinse all branches, leaves, etc. to remove any pests. Otherwise, they will be crawling all over your house, and that's no fun to clean up. It's easiest to use the shower attachment to rinse off all soap, again with tepid water. Deciduous branches that still have sap running in them should be cut with a sharp pruner, and hydrated in water and preservative. Dried branches can be left out on newspaper to finish drying. Moss should be laid out on newspaper or cardboard, ideally first in your carport or garage to let the creepies crawl out, or somewhere in your house where you will keep your eye on it, and remove the spiders, worms, etc. back to the outside. The more squeamish or time-pressed can purchase mosses that are already dried and sanitized from your favorite craft store:)

Harvest themes (halloween, american thanksgiving) can transition from now to the winter holidays if you do a little planning, and lay out your materials accordingly. For example, if you celebrate Christmas and like reds, start your harvest decorating with burgundies, and golds. Dogwood branches from your yard, or any red-toned branches, make a nice addition, and can spread your decorating budget farther. The golds could be metallic, or they could be old fashioned gold-- like nuts, cones, etc. Then, add your warmer toned flowers like yellows or oranges for now-- sunflowers would be fabulous!, After thanksgiving, change to reds-- could be carnations, or you could use a special vase in the middle of your display and change it out weekly- amaryllis would be very showy. 

If you celebrate Hanukkah, start with silver now-- you could use driftwood, or silver spanish moss, and hydrangeas of any color-- the antique purples or burgundies would be stunning-- after thanksgiving, change out the burgundies for blues or whites. Potted white kalanchoes would hold up nicely-- don't forget to water!

The folks around here who observe solstice usually want BRIGHT flowers and accents-- so use a multicolored theme, and make your favorite color the dominant one. I have not done anything for Kwanza, but looking at the color palette, I would make golden yellow the dominant color now, and accent with black branches or accessories, and possibly one other item. After thanksgiving, you can fine-tune your color mix, and make red or green the dominant color without removing the yellow or black-- it's just a matter of ADDING items.

Whatever holiday you celebrate, (or all of them) make it your own by using the items and colors that are special to YOU. That's what makes memories for you and your family.

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