DIY Network

Gardening Basics: Holiday Centerpiece From "Ask DIY Gardening" episode DADG-102

Don't spend a fortune on a centerpiece: the components are as near as your own backyard!

To create a beautiful holiday centerpiece for your table, you may need to look no further than your own backyard. DIY's gardening expert Walter Reeves offers these suggestions for bringing some of your landscape indoors to create a festive focal point.

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• Choose a container that suits your liking, and decide whether you want to make a dried arrangement or one that will need water.

• You may want to start with an assortment dried flowers or plants from a florist or craft store such as Nigella (figure A) and zebra grass (figure B). We also used a sponge mushroom and dried artichoke (figure C).

  Figure A

  Figure B

  Figure C

  
  

  	Figure D
  	Figure E
  	Figure F
  	Figure G

  
  
• Then, take a walk around your backyard. Look for interesting leaves, twigs, decorative grasses and grass plumes, pine cones, etc. Among live elements, we used hemlock (figure D) to add both color and fragrance to the arrangement.

  Holly (figure E) or Nandina are both holiday favorites since their berries add a splash of red to the arrangement.

  Place some floral foam in the bottom of your container (figure F). If your arrangement has fresh-cut flowers or foliage, soak the foam in water first.

  You can hide the top of the foam with moss (figure G), available from a garden or craft store.

  Now just begin adding your live or dried flowers and other items to your arrangement according to your own tastes.

Centerpiece Basics

• Use your imagination.
  
• Use what's natural.
  
• Get creative.