Extending the Holiday Season

A holiday floral arrangement from Kittelberger Florist, Rochester, NY.

A boxwood wreath from the Rochester Public Market with a ribbon with my last name's initial.

An Amaryllis bulb provides a reminder that beautiful things still grow in the dark of winter.

When decorating my home for Christmas, I really tend to decorate more for the winter season. I always buy a fresh arrangement (like the one at upper left from Kittelberger Florist) knowing it will last 6 – 8 weeks.

Watering Tip: When watering dense arrangements like this one, place a few ice cubes at the base and they will slowly melt to keep the soil moist!

Another idea is this wreath (center) with the ribbon embroidered with my last name initial on it. It was given to me from my friend Sandy—what a great gift idea!  Pick out ribbon for all your friends and add a boxwood wreath from the public market! The ribbon can be used year after year…another gift that goes well beyond the holidays.

Finally, a holiday bulb that you can literally watch grow—the Amaryllis (upper right). My friend Sarah has started waxing her own (so that they don’t require watering) and collects glass vases throughout the year at tag sales. She puts together beautiful arrangements as gifts for her friends and family. [On a side note Trader Joe’s always seems to have the most economical bulbs and the hardest color to find (white).]

I hope these ideas extend the joy of the holiday season in your home. Fondly, Wendy

P.S. If you have a special home holiday decorating tip you'd like to share, I'd love to hear about it!