Out my kitchen window

As I look out my kitchen window, there are lights twinkling, greenery and red bows filling what was flower pots. Inside my table is filling with seed catalogs.

I’m usually anxious when they arrive the end of December but this year they arrived a bit early.

Believe me, I still quickly flip them open, scanning what might be new in the garden world.

Perhaps I should change what’s new in the garden world to, what’s new to me.

I spotted some rainbow broom that could be interesting in Fall bouquets. It grows tassels in the shades of red, brown, purple and black, according to the seed catalog.

Lower on the Page, I see a Little Stripper popcorn sheller. Do you remember the days of trying to shell popcorn off of cobs? “Ouch”.

This tool would make it so much easier. Fortunately I’ve moved into the microwave popcorn world.

Remembering the garden produce we grew when younger is fun. I’m thinking it’s time to bring back some of those items to teach grandchildren what it’s like.

I remember sitting with my sisters on the porch shelling the popcorn. Also, laying out peanut plants that had been pulled.

We were anxious to bake the peanuts, as who doesn’t like a nice salty peanut.

Well, the peanuts didn’t taste quite as we imagined, but it’s a fun crop to grow with children.

Snacking on peanuts while stringing popcorn for a Christmas tree is another good memory. It seemed to take a lot of popcorn for the strings.

There isn’t popcorn strings on my tree but new this year is an angel made from okra with wings of grape hyacinth bean pods. Wires of stringed pearls were added and she is just ever so cute.

I’m not a fan of eating okra but dried okra opens up a world of decor. It includes not only making angels from, but also can be used in numerous ways in bouquets.

I recently added some dried okra to an evergreen pot sitting on the kitchen window shelf. Next growing season, I’ll like to grown okra and leave pods on the stalks, paint them a metallic gold, and add them to the tree topper or even as sprigs stuck about in the tree.

Another outside harvest has included milkweed pods. They can be painted any color and made into stars or other shapes, glued together and adorned with numerous dried flowers. My favorite happens to be gomprena strawberry fields which blooms red. A dried flower can be glued to the middle of five milkweed pods sprayed a metallic gold and glued together. A perfect star to be added to the Christmas tree.

Dried hydrangeas are also a great filler on trees. If you can carefully store allium dried blooms they, too, are beautiful added to a tree.

Gardening doesn’t end in the winter months or at Christmas. You just have to remember to harvest and store items to be used in December.

It’s also fun to make new memories using those items with children and grandchildren.

December into January is a good time to scan the garden catalogs. You just never know what you will discover to do during the next year’s holiday season.

Looking out my kitchen window I’m reminded of the approaching holidays. From my garden to your home, happy holidays.