Out my kitchen window

Christmas can be many colors and styles. There is traditional red and green, then comes gold and silver. There’s a plethora of color schemes to decorate your tree. I change mine out every now and then and this year is red and gold with traditional ornaments.

Ninety-five percent of the ornaments have been gifts. I recently had surgery and knew I wouldn’t be able to decorate the Christmas tree as easily. One of my daughters and a granddaughter helped me with the project three years ago and offered to come and do it again. That pleased me, but I decided to tackle the project a week before surgery for a very personal reason.

I love unpacking the ornaments and reflecting about who they came from. Some date back to 52 years ago, when hubby and I had our first Christmas as a married couple.

Some years, there are dried hydrangeas on the tree. Yes the garden is somehow always a part of our Christmas decor. If it isn’t a dried flower on the tree, there are clippings from evergreens in pots at the front door and in the backyard for that festive look out my kitchen window.

Currently, as I look out my kitchen window, the back yard is a winter snow globe. It is gorgeous as snow flakes float past the window to the ground. The flakes seem to sugar coat the pots of greenery and sparkly silver and red globes poking out of them.

Inside the house, pots of amaryllis are slowly sending up spikes of green. In time, flower buds will emerge as we wait for the blooms to pop.

Seed advertisements are appearing online and I can hardly wait to plan out the spring garden. Until then, I am exploring yet another form of gardening, terrariums.

Terrariums are hardly a new idea. They have caught my eye lately and now I’m seeing more and more plans for them posted online. I think they just might be a project for our local garden club this winter. The club breaks for January but is always anxious for a blast of green come February.

It will give members a chance to play in the soil, although it won’t be outside. They will also get to plant and then sit back and watch the terrariums come to life.

Terrariums will be just like a snow globe without the white fluffy stuff and oh, don’t turn them upside down.

Terrariums don’t take much care, but how fun to watch the progress.

Terrariums wouldn’t be a bad Christmas gift for the gardener who has everything. The container can be as simple as a pickle jar or as fancy as a purchased glass container. Just make sure it has an opening you can get in to work when planting. There are long tools for this or you can improvise.

Inside the house or looking out the kitchen window, there is always something fun to think about when it comes to gardening. Here’s wishing you a cozy, warm Christmas with a touch of green through the holidays.