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December 20, 2012 · Leave a Comment

This Holiday Decoration is for the Birds

How to

holiday decoration finished

Not perfect, but fun.

twig ballsSince the summer, when I went on a garden tour in Hudson, Wis. (a highly recommended tour) and saw these twig balls, I’ve been interested in making some kind of twig decor. You can buy them in many nurseries and garden centers, but I wanted to try my hand at making them. First I checked youtube, where I found one decent video, but when I tried to replicate the instructions, it was a complete fail. My twig circles kept boinging open.

orb with greeneryI gave up until I went to the Rice County Master Gardener holiday party, where one of the gardeners (Karen) showed me how she did the circles. Using large branches (willow or red twig dogwood work well), she lashed two branches together at the thick end using 18 gauge wire. The branches should be facing the opposite direction, so you have one very long branch, which is tied in the middle.  Then, bend the branches around so that they form a circle. You can twist them around each other and then lash the ends together, using wire. Make four circles using this method. The circles need to be very close in size. Then, fit the circles together to make an orb. You may need to use a bit more wire to keep everything together. My orb was not nearly as neat and shapely as Karen’s but it was an something close to an orb.

computer and grapefruit ornament for holiday decorationI decided it might make an interesting outdoor ornament, if I dolled it up into a bird feeder. I started by adding greenery, which was pretty easy to wind into the twigs. Earlier this week, I watched a video from the Daily Connoisseur on making ornaments using dried citrus. This was very easy to do and cute. I took my dried grapefruit ornaments, added dental floss, so they could be hung from the orb, spread them with peanut butter (make sure the citrus slices are not too thin — one of mine broke during the peanut butter speading), then dipped them in bird seed. I also used a margarine tub top in the center of the feeder/orb. The top is also spread with peanut butter and covered with bird seed, and I used duck tape to attach the tub top to the branches in the center of the orb.

holiday decoration with bird seedI added a thick holiday ribbon at the top of the orb so it could be hung from our maple tree out front. I’m not sure how long this will last and I plan to monitor it today because the wind is supposed to pick up. What fun projects have you done this holiday season?

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Rows and rows of daffodils 🌼. I had a chance to Rows and rows of daffodils 🌼. I had a chance to take some photos of a grow field in western Wisconsin, where an amateur grower is developing new, early varieties for the north. 

Tip for home gardeners: if you want to move daffodils, dig them and move them foliage and all two weeks after they bloom. The foliage will flop and look bad, but no worries, they’ll come back next year as good as ever. As always when moving plants, water well! #daffodil #bulbgarden #northerngardening #gardentips
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Enjoy! 
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#floralexperience #bachmansflowershow #galleriaedina #springflowers #twincitiesevents #minnesotaspring
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Has your garden been transformed in the last year Has your garden been transformed in the last year or two? I'd love to see it! I'm back to editing Northern Gardener for a bit and one of the new features in the magazine highlights garden or yard transformations. We need help finding some great ones!

The spring issue "Before and After" features a vegetable garden created out of a blank backyard in Bloomington, MN. The homeowner worked with Rustic Hills Garden Co. to add raised beds, fencing, paths and trellises. It's incredibly productive and really nice looking, too! 

I'm looking for more transformations to feature in upcoming issues. They can be DIY or something you worked on with a garden pro. The goal is to give our readers ideas and inspiration. 

Send me a DM with details. Don't worry about writing the piece yourself. We've got a bunch of great writers available to help with that. But you need to have photos of both before and after. I can't wait to see your gardens! 

PC: @rustichillsgardenco 

#coldclimategardens #gardendiy #gardentransformation #beforeandafter #showmeyourgarden
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For advice on how to do it from an expert, check out a podcast episode from 2021 where Michelle Mero Riedel explains her process. Great info! Link in bio and in stories. #wintersowing #mnpodcast #mngardening
#gardenpodcast
#growyourownflowers
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#tpie #tpie2023 #houseplants #gardentrends
When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s time to dig out your lists of favorite plants and start planning ✍️ this year’s garden.

My January newsletter includes lists of best annuals for pollinators (of course zinnias are on the list), best herbs for beginners and a link to a slightly older blog post about best trees for urban gardens in our current and future climate. Check it out and start making your own list of go-to plants! 

Link to the newsletter is in bio and stories. Please subscribe for occasional tips for Northern gardeners. 
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#gardeningtips #annualflowers #pollinatorfriendly #urbantrees
2022 — uff-da — what a year! A few photos al 2022 — uff-da — what a year! 

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Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep goi Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep going with the heat running 24/7. So how about some holiday plants that are not poinsettias. Norfolk Island pine, rosemary, paperwhites, amaryllis or any houseplant with red veining add that holiday cheer and are easier to keep alive or are not meant to last, so no need for guilt when they are gone. 

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#holidaydecor #holidayhouseplants #amaryllis #norfolkislandpine #paperwhites
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#lemoncypress #holidayhouseplants #houseplantslover #coldclimategardening #mngardener
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