Autumn’s coming
While most of the summer flowers run out of steam our automn plants like dahlia, sunflower, Chinese lantern and hydrangea just start to be in top form. So why not take them in or put them on our patio table. When strolling through the local woods keep your eyes peeled for pieces of tree bark to take them home. If necessary ask the responsible ranger or landlord if you’re allowed to collect those pieces. Ours was a colleague’s gift. She had to fell a pine tree in her garden. It’s good to leave the bark in a dry place for some days thus enabling any tiny crawling animal to look for a new home.
When dried start to decorate it with Chinese lanterns or other flowers from your garden or balcony. Most of the local florists are selling the little lanterns or maybe you’ll find a neighbour willing to share some of his plant with you. A large hydrangea flower will even allow you to use your bark as a center piece. As soon as the first leaves or flowers have faded replace by new ones. You may use chest or beechnut cupules, twigs of yew tree or cypress and even hop tendrils are looking very nice. For Holiday season choose pine cones twigs, wooden stars or a pine cone goblin and here you are with a wonderful Christmas decoration. For Christmas Eve you may even create a highlight with a wooden angel, some tinsel tressels and small Christmas balls.
