Decorating with Boxwood Garland
Decorating with boxwood garland for the Christmas holidays is a tradition that was brought to the United States by the colonists from Europe. It’s best for the garland to be as fresh as you can get it, and one way to be certain that it is fresh is to make the garland yourself.
This can be done by cutting the boxwood from your own bushes, soaking them in water so the cuttings can absorb the most moisture possible. To do this, crush the woody ends of each branch immediately after cutting them and soak them in a bucket of water overnight in a cool place out of the sun. The first thing the next morning, attach the cuttings to a rope or chain, or simply layer bunches on top of each other and fasten them together with florist’s wire.
If you cannot make the garland yourself, you can hire a gardener to make it for you, or order it from a nursery or florist who guarantees freshness. Once the garland is made or purchased, you can either leave it plain, or you can decorate it with ribbon, berries, bittersweet, gingerbread cookies, candy canes or anything you choose. If you have pets and small children, it is best to make certain anything you do not decorate the garland with anything that is poisonous, like bittersweet.
Display the garland in a place that will not be hit by the sun, and make certain it is also away from heat. This will help to keep the garland as fresh as possible throughout the holiday season so it won’t become a dry fire hazard. Also, keep it away from candles and fireplaces so there is no chance that it will catch fire.
Boxwood garland can be draped around windows, doors, wound around fence posts, columns or swaged outside along the roofline of your home.
