In a vase on Monday: December windfall

Last week on my way to the grocery store, I noticed the city tree-trimming crews had worked on all the crabapple trees in the median on Whitney Way not far from my house. I decided I'd take a chance that everything would still be there when I drove back from the store. It was, but I wasn't going to take another chance and go home to get clippers and change my clothes. So I pulled over, took off my coat, and hauled a branch loaded with berries to my car. Then I struggled to get it in the back seat. Took up all the room and the end of the branch hung out the open car window.

Of course, the minute I looked at all the branches on the ground, I realized the ones that were loaded with bright red berries were not crab apples at all. They were Hawthorns, most likely Washington Hawthon (Crataegus phaenopyrum), a tree we had growing in our garden until it got wiped out in a snowstorm a couple of winters ago. Check out those thorns! Real killers. Mark helped me cut it into manageable sized branches and then I decided how I'd use them. (Note I am working outdoors in mid-December in Wisconsin!)

I cut the the branches into shorter lengths and trimmed out some of the deadwood and some of the thorns. The presence of thorns meant this bouquet had to be where no one was going to accidentally bump into it. So, first I added a halo of berries to the big Mark Skudlarek platter hanging by the front door. No vase needed!

The platter is just to the right of our bright red front door so the berries were just what I needed to add another touch of holiday color to match what was on the other side of the front entrance. Last year this pine cone garland was draped over the windows in our bedroom, held in place with long ochre-colored satin ribbons.

I bought a couple of stems of red-twigged dogwood at the grocery store and clipped some pruning from evergreens in our garden. I put them in the front hall in a red enamel Haws watering can. Then I added as many branches of Hawthorn berries as I could manage to squeeze in. 

A big glass jar of pine cones gathered in our garden repeats the theme from the bench outside.

Love how the red picks up the color from Leslie Nelson's needlepoint/quilt. And I love the fact that I was unexpectedly able to pull this all together thanks to city work crews and warm and snowless December weather. To see what other gardeners have put in a vase this Monday, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden who hosts this weekly meme.

 

Comments

[Lisa at Greenbow]

What fun to find a windfall that works so well with your decorations. I have a feeling the weather is turning. The wind is ferocious here this morning. I just heard a watering can go skittering across the patio. Yes, I have had to water the few pots that are still out...in December. Happy Monday.

[Linda from Each Little World]

​Lisa — Same here with the weather. Very windy and rainy the last couple of days but temps are about to drop. Still no snow in the near forecast. Have to say that I have been enjoying the warm weather even though I know it is a disturbing sign of climate change. So warm yesterday we slept with a window open in the bedroom — in December in Wisconsin!

[Donna@Gardens Eye View]

These are beautiful...how wonderful to pick them up like that....love how you incorporated them into the arrangements....we are mild here too with temps reaching 65 today.

[Noelle]

Upcycling prunnings...what a delight. A Very Festive and Happy Christmas to you.

[D]

Linda, you were very resourceful to tackle the branch and very creative in your arrangements. The wall hanging is lovely too. Susie

[Loree / danger garden]

Well done! I had to laugh at your description of getting the branch into your car, that could have been me!

[Sandra]

Gorgeous - and Oh! that needlepoint quilt is fabulous!

[Kris P]

I admired your industry in picking up the city's tree trimmings. And I appreciated your efforts even more when I saw the thorns on those branches! It looks as bad as Bougainvillea. You've done a great job using the berries to add holiday color to your home.

[Linda from Each Little World]

Sandra — ​The quilt has new work added to an older base that was done by a relative of the artist, Leslee Nelson. Leslee added more fiber work as well as beads and she did the fabulous needlepoint piece as well.

[Linda from Each Little World]

Kris — I had just seen what they charged for ilex berries at the florist, so it seemed criminal to ignore a great find like those trimmings.

[Cathy]

Oh well done you in thinking on your feet and making sure you picked up some of the prunings before they were removed - and what a grand selection of uses you have put them to. They all look wonderful - and what a gorgeous quilt you have shown us too. Very lovely :)

[Linda from Each Little World]

​Thanks Cathy. I was pretty excited to find something like that free for the taking.​

[Eliza waters]

What luck coming across the hawthorn. I love that you used the red Haws watering can as a vase. It really looks superb!

[Cindy at enclos*ure]

What a wonderful find!

[Linda from Each Little World]

Would you believe Mark drove by yesterday and told me they've cut the Hawthornes down. That's why there were such great amounts of prunings. Must have been stage one of demolition!

[Cathy]

What luck to find these just as they had been cut.... a lovely arrangement with a festive watering can too!

[Peter/Outlaw]

A serendipitous find! I got a nice bunch of holly this year from a pile of a neighbor's yard waste. Even though I have holly in my own garden, it was fun to just gather already cut branches. Your porch and entryway look very festive!