Want to get a little more life out of those big flower pots that were overflowing with blossoms not so long ago? Why not “plant” a holiday porch pot? Tagawa Gardens has a great assortment of freshly-cut greens…. and faux greens (that you’d swear were real) just waiting for you!
So easy, and so much fun!
Lina has been with Tagawa’s for more than 20 years. She’s a wizard with plants! But she’s also an amazing designer. One of her favorite plant projects this time of year is making porch pots.
Lina’s a big fan of using both fresh and faux greenery in her designs. She loves the feel and smell of the fresh boughs…. spruce tops from white and black spruce grown just for this purpose…. and beautiful, fragrant branches of trees like incense cedar and berried juniper.
None of the fresh greenery has roots, but with proper care, the boughs and cuttings will last for several weeks inserted into the same soil that’s already in the flower pots and window boxes on your porch, deck, patio or balcony. It’s like giving those big containers a whole new life, even though the flowers of summer are long gone!
Here’s a tip: make sure you’re keeping the soil in your big pots from collecting too much snow. Trying to make a porch pot in frozen soil is no fun!
Faux greens and accents for “pop!”
In addition to the fresh greenery, Lina also uses artificial or faux greens and berries for pizzazz! Their color and sparkle can really bring a porch pot to life!
The basic structure of the porch pot comes from the fresh greenery set into the pot following the same principles of your summer mixed flower containers: a “thriller,” often a tall spruce top, anchoring the center of the arrangement; “fillers” like fresh juniper or pine surrounding the thriller; and “spillers” like incense cedar draping gracefully over the edge of the pot.
Once the fresh greens are in place, add accents of faux greens…. bright red plastic berries or convincing faux greenery dressed up with a bit of glitter for the holidays! Many of the faux elements can be used again next season.
Fresh greenery by the pound
Fresh boughs and branches are in special bins in the Christmas tree area at Tagawa’s…. indoors and protected from the elements, as always! You can mix and match, and select just the right amount of greens that you need for your size of porch pot. The spruce tops are priced individually.
You’ll also find big, beautiful Jeffrey and Sugar pine cones to include in your arrangements or centerpieces.
A little big of extra T.L.C.
With Colorado’s dry winter air, there are a couple of steps you can take to help your porch pots last well past the holidays.
I always give my greens a fresh, angled cut when I bring them home and then set them in a bucket of water in the garage for at least a few hours, or even overnight, before I use them.
I also make a point to lay out the fresh greens on a plastic sheet and spray both sides of the boughs with an anti-dessicant like “Wilt Stop.” This is a completely natural spray made from pine sap. It helps to coat the evergreen needles and reduces moisture loss while the greens are on display. It’s not unusual to have my porch pots stay soft and supple well into January. I’ve been known to pull out the red and green accents and replace them with blues and silvers for the New Year!
Make your Porch Pot a family project!
Kids love decorating Christmas trees, so why not invite them to help create a porch pot? No delicate touch is needed!
Assembling porch pots is so easy! The kiddos (and in my case, yellow labs like Vinny) love to help! Pick a nice winter day… spread out your greens, both fresh and faux, and get to work!
Once the porch pot is finished, give it a big bucket or two of warm water. If the days continue on the warm side, I’ll add another bucket of water whenever the soil isn’t frozen.
With fresh and faux greens from Tagawa’s, your porch pot will be one-of-a-kind! It’s a great way to offer a special holiday touch to your home this season!
