Today’s GPOD again comes from Lilian Ho.
Seven Master Gardeners from Vancouver made some Christmas ornaments for Pearson Long-Term Care facility. In Canada, most long term care facilities are funded by Medicare and they have certain budgets, so we brought our own containers and materials. We gathered the greens from the facility ground and our own gardens. This year somehow, there is a lack of red berries in the gardens. We made 20 Christmas ornaments in 2.5 hours. Attached are highlights of our work.
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Comments
Very classy arrangements, Lilian. Congrats. to the team on the marvellous initiative and creations. Cheers from Oz
Thanks for your kind words. It was lot of fun. We have patients came in wheel chairs to watch us.
Lillian, the arrangements are beautiful. I hope the residents and staff are both blessed by their beauty. I love making table arrangements and outdoor displays. The outdoor ones last all winter. I make them so that a lantern can be placed in the middle for company! Now, to squeeze more time out of today! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Rhonda, I think we would love to see some of your outdoor displays...even if its only a few pictures. I cut a bunch of red twig dogwood stems the other day to bunch up for some height in a couple of outdoor containers. I felt conflicted about cutting the branches because the plant looked so pretty against the green backdrop of a cedar. I know that come late winter/early spring I should get aggressive with almost coppicing my red twig dogwoods so the new growth is plentiful and colorful in the winter.
Ha! Well, I guess I had better get a move on then! Thanks for the encouragement. I think I will. They are nothing like Lillian’s though!
Also looking forward to seeing your creations, Rhonda. No pressure!
Will love to see your creation Rhonda!
Lovely, again today.
The arrangements from today and yesterday are positively inspiring, Lilian...my fingers are itching to put my pruners to use in cutting greens and bringing some indoors. I need to be more adventuresome in combining different evergreens. Are the longish lacy greens from an arborvitae or a Leyland Cypress? They work really well as a base.
Thanks for your kind words and I somehow missed yesterday's post. You should try it. They smell so good inside.
These are beautiful and inspiring. Thanks again for sharing, Lilian.
Hi Lillian, the arrangements today have more berries, don't they? I love the pinkish berries in the first arrangements - is that a cotoneaster? To encourage Meander just a bit more, the red twig dogwood branches I had cut last fall to stick into our outdoor containers TOOK ROOT! and I was able to give away a new plant last spring! So grab those clippers!
Oh, yes, to the delightful surprise of serendipitous rerooting, Cheryl...I had that outcome a couple of years ago and my 3 red twig dogwoods became 11. That's why I was willing to prune off and sacrifice some stems for container decorating last week. I wasn't as generous as you, though...I kept them for myself so I could develop a "wall" of red twigs that really showed up in the winter. My grouping isn't as full yet as I'd like but they're on their way. Maybe I will follow your good example and part with some rooted cuttings this spring.
Yes, it is a cotoneaster. Thanks for your kind words.
Wonderful creations for a wonderful cause! You and your fellow volunteers are Santa gardeners Lilian. Happy Holidays!
You too Cherry. Too bad you missed this year`s arrangement. Happy Holidays every one! Would love to see your creations sometimes soon.
Good morning, Lilian. This is such a nice thing that you do for the residents at this long term care facility. They are very lucky and you and your friends are very talented.
Thanks Linda and good afternoon to you. I somehow missed and posts until now....
So pretty! Here in our OK drought, I certainly envy your PNW greenery! I can only wish or spend big bucks at the florist-if they even have it.
Nice work, Lilian! I'll bet there are some former gardeners in the care facility who will really appreciate seeing your greenery.
Hello Lorraine, thanks for your kind words and hope to see you around in some of master gardeners meetings soon. Happy holidays.
You are welcome, Lilian. Did you see the message from Christine about the possibility of running the Propagation course for the Advanced MG program on Saturday's in January, February, and March? I hope it runs! Have a wonderful holiday, Lilian!
I did not see Christine's message about the propagation class but I certainly want to take it if it runs. Who is teaching it?
Hi Lilian, Christine didn't say who is teaching the propagation course -- only that they may have someone lined up. She was checking how many of us would be interested in Saturday classes. I haven't heard anything more but will pass along any further information if I do. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Just read that residents came in to watch you all create these arrangements for them - I think that is absolutely lovely. Think of the scent of the greenery, the chatter of the designers and the wonder of viewing the gifts actually created in front of them all.
Such a gift in itself.
Thank you all for being so very thoughtful.
I am going outside now to cut branches!!
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