TIME FLIES

Before you know it daylight savings will be ending, Sunday November 7th, to be exact.  Then the days seem to really fly by and the Holiday season will be here.

I looked at the containers next to the front door and felt sad.  The bountiful bright marigolds are brown and drooping; the white calibrachoa is limp from the frosty nights.  The deep burgundy red flowers of the geraniums have been replaced with withered brown flower heads.  However, there is a glint ofhope.  The geranium leaves are still green and pliable so the project will be to dig out the geraniums and repot to a container in the sunroom.  To clarify--the sunroom is an enclosed patio, unheated but for the good graces of the central Oregon sun.  Since it is smaller than the greenhouse it stays warmer.  What's left in the containers will go into the compost.

I'll miss the color spot on the front porch so I've decided to create fall colors by wrapping pruned branches with yarn which I have a stash of from project leftovers.  Hopefully it will look like a massive bouquet of color.  I will use some rabbitbrush and artemesia to soften the look, plus a pumpkin or two to add different shapes.  That should carry the eye candy through Thanksgiving. 

Probably some passerbys will raise an eyebrow and think "Oh my, a busy hands at home project."  I agree, it is pretty simplistic but how can gardeners live without color and without keeping busy till spring seeding time?

I did the yarn wrapping last year for Christmas on a small scale to add color to a basket of greens.  It's a little tricky working with the glue and keeping the yarn looking neat as you go round and round but I think it's worth the effort, plus it used up scrapes of yarn.

It's not too early to think of and collect ideas of natural ornaments for the holidays.  I can't help but wonder if the DIY craft supplies will be limited due to the shipping problems that seem to be universal in all industries. 

Have you been thinking you really need to toss out long expired spices before the new year?  Coat the surface of a craft (Styrofoam) ball with glue.  Use good craft glue or a cool glue gun.  To make the hanger knot the ends of a ribbon or cording together.  Bend a 4 inch length of light weight wire in half (even a straightened out paper clip would do).  Attach ribbon or cording to the ornament with wire  and secure with a dot of glue.  Do the hanger before coating the ball.  Or if you are using the decorated balls in a basket, you can eliminate the hanger.  Working in small areas at a time, spread with glue and firmly press in the spices with your fingers until they adhere.  You could also add juniper berries, rose hips, seed pods, lavender buds or or anything else of interest from your garden.  I shamefully admit that I found several seed packets that are at least 10 years old so I am going to use those also.

Currently I am being tormented with the ideas I have collected for recycling tomato cages into Christmas trees--just can't decide which way to go--fancy or natural--decisions, decisions.

Don't forget to check out Gardening: Get Good at It "Five Easy Houseplants" segment on Tues. November 2 on KPOV 88.9 FM between 9-9:30 a m