Fresh cut greens – Lurvey offers a wide variety of fresh cut greens to enhance your container. The height of your container can be achieved with a nice spruce top or a variety of noble, fraser, different types of cedar, douglas fir or pine. Other natural cut greens such as oregonian, boxwood or magnolia leaves add a different texture and enhance your container.
Purchasing
When you are purchasing a container, make sure it has drainage holes for your outdoor container and take into consideration the color of your home or building and general aesthetic.
Assembly of Greens
When building your container, think about how it’s going to be placed. Will it be viewed from all sides? Will it be pushed against your home or garage? If so, put most of your energy and materials in the front and sides and just let the back of the container be more natural.
Once you’ve decided that, think of your height and establish with your spruce top or other cut greens, fill in the middle with a mid-height cut branch and finish it off with some variegated cedar or incense cedar that drapes over the edge.
Prior to assembly, fill your container with soil, packed tightly to ensure greens will be secure in the winter winds. Here at Lurvey we create our containers in heavier soil than when we plant live material in spring and summer. The heavier soil, which is mixed with sand retains more moisture. If you don’t want to change your soil, you can create your container with the soil you have left over from summer, just make sure you put your cut greens securely and firmly into the pot. Water your soil heavily and then you are ready to create!
As you begin, one of the most important steps you can take is to give each branch a fresh cut to assist in absorption of water. There will be some waste. Some branches are just too small to cut and put into soil.
Again, when thinking of the composition of your container will the height be in the back if it’s nestled again in your home or garage? Or will the height be in the middle, so it looks beautiful from all angles? Continue to add different types of greens for the mid height and make it full, full, full! Don’t forget to break the edge of the container by adding some draping greens as mentioned above.
Wilt Stop
Before you begin to add your bling, add some Wilt Stop to your greens. Spray generously to ensure your greens stay as fresh as possible. This is a natural pine resin and is somewhat sticky so be sure to spray them away from anything you don’t want coated with the spray. Don’t spray any of your shiny balls or other accents.
Here at Lurvey’s we have a vast number of sticks and accents to enhance your container. Do you want a nice set of birch poles in your pot? Some red dogwood branches? Do you like the natural look or are you going for the super bling look?
Greens Care
Containers should be watered thoroughly after assembly and watered every couple of days until they freeze. When thaw continues, containers should be watered frequently to extend their season. Containers should be kept outside; your home is typically too warm and will dry out your arrangement. Small containers can be brought inside temporarily to decorate your holiday table. You can also create a beautiful vase with cut greens placed in water.
OVERVIEW:
- Select container with drainage.
- Fill with soil and press in firmly.
- Water the soil.
- Give all your greens a fresh cut.
- Design your creation with height, mid and drape.
- Spray with Wilt Stop.
- Add your winter sticks and accents and other bling.
- Water again and enjoy!
