All photos by Kathy Blavatt
By Kathy Blavatt
I had been given a golden mermaid! This discarded beauty lay beneath many ornaments and decorations. You never know what you will find in a friend’s discarded box.
All I could think of was how cool! The O.B. mermaid has come home!
My creativity kicked in. All I could think about was making a festive water display for the golden mermaid. I quickly unpacked my holiday bobbles and treasures. Right before my eyes were:
- Golden-flaked turquoise bulbs.
- A delicate crystal candle holder.
- Everything I needed to create the mermaid’s underwater festive fantasy.
The structure of the marine theme arrangement now need a natural aspect. I needed a type of plant that looked like seaweed. The Spanish Moss from my yard made splendid looking seaweed that contrasted nicely with bits of coral. Since oranges are a historical Christmas gift, I used cumquats to brighten the scene. The delicate
display became the centerpiece of my living room.
A sad dying little pine tree appeared on my doorstep a month ago. A neighbor was going to throw it out but thought of me and asked if I wanted it. I was happy to see if I could save a tree. My nurturing instincts said, “I can save this tiny pine.”
I figured I would try to revive the little “Charlie Brown Tree.”
It was terrific how care, water, and trimming brought the poor little guy back to life just in time for the holidays. The pine still had a bend to him, but that just endured me more because he resembled the leaning O.B. Christmas Tree.
After putting my baby O.B. Christmas Tree on my coffee table, I went into my garden searching for flowers and greenery for arranges. My Aloe vera and Bromeliads were blooming in various shades of reds.
Another gift had come my way, a tall painted holiday goblet vase. The goblet’s colorful graphics worked beautifully with a live homegrown flower arrangement in matching colors.
I was excited about creating a holiday arrangement for my new goblet vase.
This season’s Bromeliads included a red stem with a seed pod that resembles a pinecone, and another that has a red stem with burgundy and green berries. Finding beautiful floral surprises in the garden is such a treat— nature’s gifts.
Recently, I gave a friend a tour of my garden to a friend when she spotted a full-size Dragon Fruit hidden in a back corner of my yard.
My Dragon Fruit rarely makes it to full size, but his year, I hit the jackpot with one exceptional fruit!
Dragon Fruit plants, also called “pitaya” or “pitahaya,” are subtropical cactus from Central America and South America. Mine was especially sweet and lovely, the best I had ever had.
Another great surprise in my garden was two Morning Cloak Butterflies emerging from their cocoons attached to my retaining wall.
My neighbors and I helped the butterflies by carefully moving them into the sun so their wings would dry out faster so they could fly off.
A friend gave me some Asian Pears from his prolific tree. I mixed the pears into a fresh holiday salad that included fresh herbs and fruits from my garden.
This New Year consider a resolution to take walks through gardens and the neighborhood with your friends or families. You may be delighted as you see nature’s gifts all around you.
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