Think Small in Decor

my favorite christmas tree fits on my kitchen island surrounded by salt and pepper shakers. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Think Small in Decor

I finally had a few minutes last night to decorate for Christmas. It took me maybe 15 minutes and this morning the house has a nice holiday feel to it.

If you haven’t started decorating, that’s okay. Consider this an opportunity to re-think just how much decorating you can handle and establish a limit. Whatever time you have to decorate, make sure it’s something you can enjoy. And remember what goes up has to come down!

Tiny Christmas Trees

For me it’s been “thinking small” with decorations. I have several 10” to a foot tall Christmas trees that are stored with ornaments on them. All I have to do is gently bring them out of the trunk, pick up the one or two wayward ornaments and set them where I can enjoy them. And the cats won’t bother them.

If I go thrifting and find tiny ornaments I like, they come home to be added to the trees. Some years I find some nice ones; other years I don’t find any. It’s all about the treasure hunt.

this tiny tree used to go up in my office. now it keeps santa and the poinsettia company in my den. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Plants make easy holiday decorating. I like to make little tableaus around my poinsettias. This year, Santa is hanging out in his sleigh next to a poinsettia and tiny Christmas tree in my den. I see I forgot to add sphagnum moss to cover the poinsettia pot but all in all, it’s a charming scene.

cozy bathroom corner with one of my favorite cat ornaments. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Same thing for the most used rooms in the house, the bathrooms. I like to have a little holiday cheer in a counter corner that doesn’t take up a lot of room but represents the holiday. The yellow cat is an ornament that now gets to move around the house with its mouse friend from year to year. Repurposing makes decorating fun.

my tall skinny christmas tree in my office sits next to potted geraniums. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Big Christmas Trees

I do have a skinny tall artificial Christmas tree in my office. It stays out all year to remind me of the spirit of the holidays. Many customers have sent ornaments that now hang on the tree, a lovely reminder of our working together.

What Does the Holiday Mean to You?

There was a time, decades ago, that I allowed myself to be pressured into large size decorating and spending weeks getting it all up. Frankly I now enjoy my little decor as much, if not more, because it doesn’t take up so much time but still reminds me of the holiday season.

For more gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Dried Hydrangeas

dry hydrangeas now fill baskets over my kitchen cabinets. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Dried Hydrangeas

Of all of the flowers that grow in my hillside garden, hydrangeas are one of my favorites. Not only are they long-lasting but pollinators love to visit them as well.

Hydrangeas are versatile for home decor as fresh flowers as well as dried. I tied several hydrangea heads and hung them in my garage to dry for several weeks.

The dried hydrangeas now provide some color in my guest bathroom.

spray dry hydrangeas to keep the florets from falling. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Once hydrangeas are dry, spray with clear spray to prevent the florets from falling off.

hydrangeas in baskets on top of cabinets hide the plug ins. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Hydrangeas also work well to cover spots that are hard to cover. I used to have silk grapevines in baskets that were big enough to cover these electrical outlets.

out with the old, these plastic silk grapevines were popular in the 1980s. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo

Now I just use a head of hydrangeas out of the baskets to mask the electrical outlets.

Using hydrangeas as decor also quickly updated my kitchen.

I also use hydrangeas on outside wreaths and as table decor. So versatile!

For more gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Cat Baskets

Etta Girl has checked several potential napping baskets and settled on this one. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Cat Baskets

If you live with a cat, you know there are a lot of cat gadgets on the market, from cat “trees” to cat “beds.”

Over the years of living with cats, I have found that the best cat “beds” are baskets. Well, cats like boxes, too, but for home decor I prefer baskets. Cats themselves will decide on their favorite so I usually have several baskets scattered around the house at windows so they can choose their favorites.

The most used baskets tend to be ones with lower basket rims so they can curl up and still see out.

All three of these window baskets are currently occupied. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Not all windows are easy to populate with baskets. This one has a short bookcase that provides a good height for the baskets. A good height is usually one that easily allows the cats to see outside. in this case there’s a nearby hummingbird feeder that apparently needs close supervision.

In other parts of the house, I have inexpensive black shoe racks that serve as low book cases in front of chairs facing windows. The shoe racks again provide a good spot for baskets to sit in sunshine, a favorite winter napping spot.

Shoe racks fill in as low book cases and support for cat napping baskets. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

I have our local glass shop cut plexiglass pieces to fit the shoe racks to protect the tops. The shoe racks are inexpensive particle board so the covering helps to prolong their life, especially when I plop a plant on them.

Our local glass shop cuts plastic pieces to protect shoe racks. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

In terms of the baskets themselves, I tend to shop thrift stores, garage sales and consignment shops. I look for three basket shapes; round, about the size of an adult cat; square, again about the size of an adult cat, and rectangle, which allows for two cats to sleep together. Or one very long cat to stretch out in the sun.

The other feature I personally like is a handle, that way I can easily move the basket, and cat, to a new location.

Old pillow sham makes a nice lining for a cat napping basket. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

To make the cat baskets comfortable, I add something soft in the bottom; it can be a pillow sham, an old towel, even an old piece of a blanket. These get washed regularly, usually twice a month.

Some cats will claim a basket as their own; others will share. Half the fun is watching them discover the baskets and make themselves comfortable. And discover they will. It still amazes me that I can try to sneak a new basket in the house and someone will be in it within minutes of it coming into the house.

When not in use, you can use baskets for book, magazine, blankets - they make handy easy to reach storage containers.

One more challenge if you use baskets for cat napping spots. This little oblong basket used to be a napkin holder in my kitchen.

I was washing all of the napkins one day when I found this in it instead.

James A Mess takes my napkin basket out for a spin. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

I can’t blame him, it is after all a basket and he’s allowed to nap in any other basket he finds.

Now to find myself a non-basket napkin holder….

For more gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Collect Small Vases

Lilies of the Valley in a tiny vase in my kitchen. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Collect Small Vases

We all focus on tall flower vases but this is a good time to get a start on a tiny vase collection if you don’t have one.

Small vases better fit into our home decor, especially if you want them close to where you work such as desks, kitchen counters and bedside tables.

For example, Lilies of the Valley are fragrant and need small containers to show off their delicate beauty. It doesn’t take many of them to fill a room with their lovely scent.

My favorite way to include them in my home is through small vases in bathrooms. I also keep a vase close to where I work on the computer.

Small vases can be hard to find so be creative.

Small vases include toothpick holders and painted containers. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Glass and crystal toothpick holders are a good small vase size. Vintage hand-painted glass containers work well as do cream pitchers. Be creative and collect what you like.

If you’re giving them away as gifts, pick something that represents the recipient. If in doubt, keep it simple.

You will find some small vase options at local yard sales, thrift stores and antique malls.

My latest small vase of Lilies of the Valley. Can you smell them? (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

For more gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Cutting Irises

one of the many gifted irises starting to bloom at bluebird gardens. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Cutting Irises

A friend recently shared that she couldn’t imagine cutting any of her Mother’s Irises for inside bouquets. Although a favorite landscaping plant, Irises in flower arrangements tend to be limited to the smaller Dutch Iris variety.

Purple Dutch Iris in a small arrangement with pink peonies and red geraniums. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Early May used to be the beginning of the peony and Iris season where I live in USDA Hardiness zone 6b. This year Iris started blooming a good month earlier than in previous years.

Depending on weather conditions, peonies and Iris tend to be in bloom at the same time, encouraging both to be arranged together in homemade flower vase arrangements. Some years, though, their bloom cycles are out of sync. Iris are still excellent individually as cut flowers and good for easy home decor.

Iris are available in a wide range of colors including white. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Pretty, isn’t it. If it’s pretty in the garden it will be the same in your house. Just one stem in a flower vase can be an elegant addition to a room corner, or arrange three stems in a vase for a pop of color.

To keep them upright, use a flower frog at the vase bottom.

You can also add a complimentary plant like Dame’s Rocket to fill in between cut Iris stems.

Cut Dame’s Rocket in a complimentary color to the Iris make a good combination. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Select complimentary flowers if you want something soothing. This Iris Lap Quilt Throw features complimentary pastel colors. Select flower colors that oppose each other on a color wheel for a brighter flower arrangement.

Burgundy Iris with Dame’s Rocket in a flower vase in my kitchen. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Depending on the conditions inside your house, the Iris flowers may last several days. Cutting them with buds means the flowering will get extended.

Iris are lovely landscape plants but they shouldn’t only be used there. Iris also have a place inside your home to brighten a room, and your spirits.

For more easy home decor, gardening, beekeeping and cooking tips, subscribe to Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Glass and Daffodils

Found this small glass basket vase at a local thrift store, perfect to hold the first daffodils of the season. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Glass and Daffodils

There’s nothing quite as bright and cheerful as a fist full of budding daffodils. Every spring I post about how they can brighten any room so this year I’m going to highlight what they are in.

You can place your daffodils in any vase or container you want and the one you choose can make your daffodils shine. I like to have fresh flowers where I write so I keep a small collection of interesting containers that will nicely fit on a desk and tray. Recently I added this glass basket vase to my container collection. It’s just the right size, about 7” high and 5” wide, not too tall to attract the attention of my cats and small enough to nicely fit into a spot on my den coffee table.

This sweet little glass vase is the perfect size to add to desks and trays. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

I found this glass basket vase at a local thrift store for $4. In addition to flowers, it’s small enough to use with a variety of other items. It can be used for a pencil and pen holder on a deck, chocolates in the living room and whatever else you need to store in a small basket container.

It was late afternoon on an overcast day when I took these pictures and decided to use them because you can see the pattern in the glass.

Afternoon light shows some of the glass vase design. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

I’m also fond of anything with feet. The feet holds the container off the surface and is, well - cute.

This 7” glass flower vase also has sweet feet. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

In addition to being practical, this glass basket vase can also hold flowers tor the rest of the growing season: miniature roses would look nice in this, as will the Lilliput zinnias I plan to grow.

In the meantime, I am happy with picking my supply of daffodils still in bud form so they open when inside.

Blooming daffodils are a good sign of spring. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Daffodil bulbs are planted in fall for spring blooms. Once planted, daffodils will easily spread on their own and are distasteful to deer so a good addition to any garden. For small vases, look for Tete-A-Tete daffodils, small early bloomers usually available for purchase in the fall.

Charlotte

2024 Year of African Violets

hairs on african violets collect water out of the air. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

2024 Year of African Violets

According to the National Garden Bureau, 2024 is the year of African Violets, a plant that has fallen out of favor based on availability and that’s a shame.

I’ve loved African Violets ever since I can remember. Maybe it’s because I love native violets, which have a short flowering season. Nevertheless African Violets take up little space, are easy to grow and with proper care bloom almost continuously. They’re also favorite flower gifts.

african violets are sold as houseplants in most us home and garden centers. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

History of African Violets

African violets were discovered in the late 19th century by a German colonial official named Baron Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire in Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika). He found the plants growing wild in the Usambara Mountains. The discovery led to their introduction to Europe in the late 1800s.

Later, in the 20th century, African violets gained popularity as houseplants due to their ease of cultivation and beautiful flowers.

Today there are more than 20,000 hybrids from single petals to multi-petalled, speckled and even miniature varieties.

African violets are also available in doubles and a variety of colors. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

How to Care for African Violets

1. Light: African violets prefer bright, indirect light. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight; it can scorch their leaves. East or west-facing windows are usually suitable.

2. Temperature: They thrive in a consistent temperature range of 65-75°F (18-24°C). Avoid exposing them to cold drafts or sudden temperature fluctuations.

3. Watering: Water African violets from the bottom to prevent water from touching the leaves. Use room temperature water; don’t use softened water or the salt will kill these delicate plants.

   Pour into the saucer beneath the pot, allowing the plant to soak up the water through the drainage holes. Empty excess water after about 30 minutes.

   On the other hand, I carefully water from the top without wetting leaves and that seems to work well.

4. Humidity: They appreciate moderate humidity. Placing the pot on a tray filled with pebbles and water or using a humidifier nearby can help maintain suitable humidity levels.

5. Soil: Use a well-draining, porous potting mix specifically formulated for African violets. The mix usually has peat, perlite, and vermiculite.

6. Fertilization: Feed African violets regularly but sparingly with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer specifically designed for flowering houseplants. Dilute the fertilizer to half or a quarter of the recommended strength and apply it during the growing season.

7. Potting: Repot African violets every 6-12 months or when you notice crowding or diminished growth. Choose a pot that's slightly larger than the current one and ensure it has drainage holes.

8. Pruning: Remove faded or spent flowers and any yellowing or damaged leaves to encourage new growth and maintain the plant's appearance.

9. Propagation: African violets can be propagated from leaf cuttings. Select healthy leaves and carefully cut them, ensuring each cutting includes a small section of the stem. Place the cuttings in a moist, sterile medium until new roots form.

   I’ve pressed a damaged stem into a hole in the same spot and it generated a new plant.

10. Enjoy. I love seeing what plants are blooming every morning. These plants take up little space and give back for many years!

    Charlotte

Christmas Tree Spider Legend

A master gardener friend gave me this spider as a Christmas gift. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Christmas Tree Spider Legend

As a fan of E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web” it may come as little surprise that I like spiders, even in my Christmas trees. Much like the legend of the Christmas tree pickle, the Christmas tree spider also has its origins in Europe and most likely the Ukraine.

As the legend goes, a widowed mother is too poor to decorate her Christmas tree so friendly spiders spin elaborate webs on the evergreen. When the mother and her family wake on Christmas morning, they open the curtains and sunlight hits the webs, turning them silver and gold. Some say this is where the idea of tinsel was started.

Some other versions claim Santa or Jesus transformed the webs. Nevertheless, tinsel for many years was a staple on many Christmas trees. We also added it to our Christmas tree decorations when we were growing up.

We also each had a cat. One year one of the cats ate the tinsel and spent Christmas at the vet. That was the end of our adventures with tinsel.

One of our Christmas trees when I was growing up covered in tinsel. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

I haven’t added tinsel to Christmas trees since but I do have a lovely gift spider that makes its home in the evergreen tree.

For more tips on gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor, subscribe to my weekly Garden Notes.

What traditions do you include in your holiday decorating?

Charlotte

Mouse Village

the mouse village is up over my fireplace, every year a little different. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Mouse Village

I didn’t intentionally start collecting mice. Over the years when I was traveling, I found myself bringing home a little mouse figurine I found at a thrift store or antique shop. It wasn’t until a few years into the commute that I realized I had a little mouse collection I could set up over my fireplace for a Christmas village.

According to home decor experts, villages and collections are back in vogue. Think lighted houses and snowmen in various poses.

As you know if you’ve read my other blog posts, I’m an advocate of less. Tiny trees, framed Christmas cards, Christmas ornaments as gifts - are all ways we can still decorate for the holidays by re-purposing with less consumption and use of space.

This little mouse village is a charming example of those principles. All of the pieces were picked up at thrift stores. The little mouse asleep in a bed was found tossed because one of the bed posts was broken. I was able to make a new one and paint it so that it matched the others.

The figurines are small enough that they can be reconfigured every year. For example, this is the first year I added the framed cat looking through a mouse hole at Santa mouse in the center. And it wasn’t until I took the photo that I realized the painting hanging over the fireplace looks like the framed cat!

These little pieces take very little space to store, and even less time setting up. I do have them on the fireplace mantle to keep inquisitive paws from playing with them since many are breakable ceramics.

This would also make a fun Christmas gift, starting someone such as newlyweds on a particular theme. Mice are just one of a number of easily available collectibles. Snowmen, Santas, reindeer are other possibilities. You can add one every year and chat about what you find as your treasure hunt in between holidays. Half the fun is in the collecting!

For more tips on gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor, subscribe to my weekly Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Framed Christmas Cards

Framed Christmas cards preserve memories and easily add a touch of holiday. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Framed Christmas Cards

One of the easiest ways to make holiday decor and repurpose memories is to frame Christmas cards. It is also a quick and easy way to add a little holiday vibe to any room without taking up too much space, time and money. And you’re repurposing as well!

When I used to travel for work, these little framed cards were life savers. I usually didn’t have a lot of time to decorate but loved having holiday reminders around me. These framed Christmas cards took 5 minutes to distribute and quickly brought Christmas into any room. They soon become a holiday tradition, especially the “where do I put them this year” part.

“Dogs and cats living together” is so cute, I framed it! (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Some of my favorite Christmas cards were original ones. The “Purrfect Christmas” card was signed by the artist so I found a modern frame to balance the vintage one in the background from my grandmother. Together they remind me of the cats that have been and the cats of today; think of it as a feline version of A Christmas Story.

Each Christmas card has red berries - Purrfect Christmas has a sprig of mistletoe, the vintage cats have holly so I added a little tree with red berries to pull the vignette together. This greets me every morning at the bottom of my stairs and easily sets the tone for the day.

Doesn’t that cat with mistletoe look happy?

This was a favorite Christmas card from several years ago now framed. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Over the years I have saved a little stack of favorite Christmas cards with my ornament collection in case I need to quickly add one to a room for holiday decor. I have two cards that are handmade and three-dimensional I will frame without the glass.

For the more challenging cards, hobby shops also have tiny easels you can use to quickly display the cards.

People don’t send Christmas cards as much now so I treasure the favorites I had framed like this cat watching Santa Mouse.

Santa mouse has been a favorite framed card for over three decades now. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

This charming framed Christmas card has spent many years with other cat-related Christmas cards and decor. This year, it’s getting a new spot among my little collection of deer figurines in my basement. It now sits on a table next to my sofa where I can easily see it before I settle down. Yes, if it makes me smile I tend to keep it.

This year the card has found a spot with my little deer collection. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Rethink Christmas cards as little works of art that can easily bring the spirit of Christmas into your house. It’s an easy way to preserve a memory and, protected in a frame, they will keep giving back year after year.

For more tips on gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor, subscribe to my weekly Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Paper Clip Ornament Hangers

The Nutcracker is one of our Christmas traditions as in hanging ornaments with paper clips. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Paper Clip Ornament Hangers

Are you getting excited about decorating for the season? We all have holiday traditions and this hack now is one of mine. This is such a handy little trick for hanging ornaments, it surprised me over the years how many people had not thought of doing this.

I was among that group when one holiday past I was in an office after hours decorating for Christmas. I was the visitor so I took up the mundane tasks - removing ornaments from the box, separating the broken ones for repair and/or disposal and lining up the rest for tree hanging.

These are traditional ornament hooks for holiday decorating. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

In the middle of this little enterprise we ran out of ornament hangers, those little slight pieces of pre-formed wires that hold an ornament on one end and hang it from a tree on the other. One of my associates volunteered to head off to get some when the senior administrative assistant said no need and headed off to the supply closet.

A few minutes later she handed me a box of office paper clips and started to unbend one end. She attached the short end to an ornament, opened up the larger end and said “back to the eggnog.”

Unbent paper clips can easily be used to hang ornaments. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Over the years, I have worked in many offices over the holidays to give full-time workers time off with their families. That has given me the opportunity to share this little hack many times.

It also works to attach decorations to wreaths and, if the Christmas stockings are not too heavy, hang stockings from the top of an office cubicle.

Unbent paper clip used as an ornament hanger. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

And yes, she really did say “back to the eggnog.”

For more tips on gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor, subscribe to my weekly Garden Notes.

Do you have a favorite Christmas decorating hack to share?

Charlotte

Tiny Christmas Trees

The tiny tree and framed Christmas gift card welcoming visitors to my kitchen. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Tiny Christmas Trees

Some of you spent Thanksgiving weekend decorating your big family Christmas tree, one of the many traditions some US families have over Thanksgiving.

There was a time when I did that, then circumstances left me without the time to get a large tree up for several years. That’s where the miniature Christmas trees snuck in, some less than 12 inches tall but ready to quickly add a hint of the holidays to any room.

These tiny trees started several decades ago, when one year we as children decorated a tiny tree for our grandmother who lived in an apartment on the west coast. I can still remember the fun we had making the tiny garland, star tree topper and painting some of the tiny ornaments.

Grandma loved it and wrote us every year thereafter, thanking us for the Christmas tree that fit on her living room table. Her biggest challenge was keeping her cat from playing with the tiny ornaments.

this was my office christmas tree now keeping my framed postcard cats company. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Her tiny tree inspired me to make one for my office desk one year. We used to have an office decorating contest so there was some incentive to do something more than hanging a stocking on a door knob. I didn’t have a lot of room on my desk so I made myself a tiny decorated Christmas tree with tiny apple ornaments. Then it was on the hunt to find ornaments, which I added every year.

Another tiny Christmas tree is very easy, a favorite little Christmas card that finds it way somewhere in my book cases:

This card of dogs and cats around a Christmas tree finds a place somewhere every year; next year I may frame it. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

The most challenging part of making these tiny trees is finding the small ornaments. Thrift shops and hobby shops often offer a complimentary collection although I looking for different ones and mixing and matching.

I also found this charming tiny tree with glass charms at a local thrift store. The tiny size is perfect for a table ornament as long as paws don’t play with the glass charms.

Tiny Christmas tree with glass charms decorating my dining room table. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

And you can make your own from scrap lace and ribbons. These 12 inch trees caught my attention at a local antique mall:

Miniature Christmas trees made out of lace remnants. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Once your tiny trees are decorated, you store them with ornaments on. When ready to use again, they are all set to quickly add the Christmas vibe to any room.

I also have a small collection of salt and pepper shakers that add some whimsy to my kitchen. If you don’t have room for a small tree, look for seasonal salt and pepper shakers. Don’t buy just anyone, you want sets that make you smile like this reindeer balancing an ornament.

the whimsical reindeer holding an ornament is a salt and pepper shaker. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

These tiny trees also make great gifts. Several years ago, I made a tiny Christmas tree for a friend getting married and added little cards with good wishes as ornaments. She recently told me it’s still the first Christmas decoration she sets out when she decorates for the holidays.

For more tips on gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor, subscribe to my weekly Garden Notes.

Charlotte

How Christmas Cactus Got Its Name

My over 40 year old Christmas cactus now in bloom. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Christmas Cactus

My largest Christmas Cactus has surprised me with blooms a couple weeks before Christmas. This plant was a gift from a fellow master gardener a couple of years ago who said she was running out of room to care for this at least 40-year old plant.

This is a true Christmas Cactus with rounded edges on the serrated leaves. A sub-species of cactus, these plants originated in shady, humid coastal mountains close to where I grew up in South America. In Brazil, these are know as May flowers since that’s when they bloom in their native setting.

There are a couple of interesting legends about how this Schlumbergera got its name of Christmas cactus.

Larry Hodgson, the man behind Laidback Gardener blog writes that the story comes from Brazil. As the story goes, a young boy prayed to God, asking for a sign of Christmas as a reprieve from the heat and humidity of the jungle. On Christmas Day, when he emerged from his hut, he saw that the jungle had filled with the flowering cacti overnight.

Another version of the story, which appears on the Flower Meaning site, claims that Father Jose, a Jesuit missionary, tried to teach the jungle natives of Bolivia about the Bible but struggled to gain their trust. On Christmas Eve, overwhelmed by the enormity of his task, he prayed to God for guidance. Suddenly, he heard the villagers singing a hymn he had taught them. When he turned, he saw the village children marching into the church with armfuls of bright flowers they had gathered for the Christ Child. These flowers became known as the Christmas cactus.

The original Christmas cactus was cultivated in Europe in 1818 prized for their long-blooming pink and white flowers. They fell out of favor by the mid 1800s.

In the 1950s, their cousin the Thanksgiving cactus was grown and is now the main species available for sale around the holidays.

The Thanksgiving cactus has little horns along the serrated leaves and is available in more colors besides pink and white.

This lovely white bloom belongs to a Thanksgiving cactus. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I grow mine in hanging baskets so I can easily move them outside in summer to hang in the shade of trees.

In their natural environment, they grow in tree limbs in the leaf and moss debris and are considered to be native wildflowers.

See the horns on the edge of the leaves? That identifies the Thanksgiving cactus. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

My Christmas cactus is a little large to safely hang any more but hopefully I will still get it outside to spend summer in shade.

I finally found a good spot for it where it gets diffused sunlight and is away from traffic brushing against its leaves.

The “old” Christmas cactus is now in its final location and doing quite well. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Whatever variety you have, hope you enjoy their lovely blooms this holiday season.

For more tips on gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor, subscribe to my weekly Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Easy Thanksgiving Decor

fresh mums from the garden, a favorite vintage postcard and turkey salt and pepper shakers make for easy holiday kitchen vibe. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Happy and Easy Thanksgiving Decor

A friend told me yesterday she likes Thanksgiving better than Christmas because it’s about sharing a meal and being thankful without all of the pressure of holiday gifts and associated big decor and even bigger expectations.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

For years I have focused on having home decor that’s easy to deploy without taking a huge chunk of time, and in some cases, space. For example, this little combination of vintage postcard, vintage Made in Japan turkey salt and pepper shakers and fresh mums from my garden take up a tiny corner of my kitchen. And yet it reminds me of the season and makes me smile when I go into my kitchen every morning.

So just a reminder to keep things simple and do what gives you joy. And add a generous dose of gratitude for what you have.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Charlotte

Squirrelly Fall Home Decor

real acorns picked up on walks join my squirrel salt and pepper shakers. (charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Squirrelly Fall Home Deco

Fall has definitely arrived where I live in mid-Missouri, days of sunny weather and cool evenings, perfect for walks.

On one of the early fall walks, I noticed acorns starting to fall. There’s an Ozark saying that one can predict winter by the number of acorns falling. The more acorns, the worse the winter.

Regardless of the Ozark tradition, every fall I do have acorns falling from my resident oak trees. I enjoy looking at their shape and size, and I’m periodically tempted to think about what I can make out of the dried tree seeds.

To be inspired, I took one acorn home and added it to my fall squirrels salt and pepper shakers that greet me walking into my kitchen. I use salt and pepper shakers to easily mark and celebrate the different seasons. A few more acorns are now there, picked up during more walks.

The little vignette is easy to set up; I added a yellow mum stem that broke off in my garden. It doesn’t take up much space and it will soon make way for another salt and pepper shaker set to mark the US’s Thanksgiving tradition.

It does take a little time to find the salt and pepper shakers but that’s part of the fun. I’m still looking for something to mark Halloween.

So think small for decor. Salt and pepper shakers don’t take up a lot of space, are easy to change and still provide a mark of time passing.

Charlotte

Easy Halloween Decor Idea

repurpose an old book for an easy and quick halloween vibe. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Easy Halloween Decor Idea

When I used to travel for work, I collected a few fun items that I could use to quickly give my house a particular holiday vibe. Since then, I still keep a small stash of items that I can quickly use to decorate my house with little effort.

One of my Halloween decor favorites is this “Witch Spells” book. Ok so I love books anyway but this is a repurposed one with the title painted on the front. So easy to pull it out of storage and plop it down where I can see it.

The stuffed black cat was a gift from a friend years ago, and I have a framed Halloween postcard over the bookcase I use for storage next to the front door. Yes, the bookcase is slated for a refinishing job soon, the size was more important to get right first because the space is small.

Besides not needing a lot of storage space, keeping holiday decorations small makes it easy to enjoy the holidays without dreading the clean up. Boo!

Charlotte

Repurpose Small Bookcases

My entryway is a practical way station in and out of the house using a bookcase. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Repurpose Small Bookcases

A friend stopped by my house a couple of weeks ago and said she was delighted to see another purpose for her small bookcases.

Bookcases are not just for books. Although I do have my share throughout the house, I also use bookcases to store things, especially ones I want to have handy. For example, at the entrance to my house, a very small space, by the way - I have a small bookcase where I use a basket to hold fish food, an extra pair of socks and t-shirt, and my collection of seasonal throws for the front porch rocker.

There are a few books on the bookcase top that I regularly use for reference. The funky green vases at times have fresh flowers. A neighbor painted “What a wonderful world” bluebirds that I have framed over the books. There’s a glass piece covering the top. I will be refinishing the bookcase so wanted the glass protection before I got started.

I kept masks in that small basket to the right of the front door to remind myself not to leave the house without one. Over the bookcase, I have a mirror with storage cubby holes, and a snail hook to hold my favorite gardening hat.

To the left of the door more practical additions. Umbrellas hang at the ready, and a small mirror is handy for when I choose a fall and winter hat out of the closet. The blue coat is my all purpose coat.

Basically I can stand at the foot of the staircase and be ready to head outside in a heartbeat. Or come back in and drop everything in their respective spots.

I also keep a small metal bookcase on the deck for storage. The shelves are lined with plastic pieces I had a local glass company cut to size. The metal tin holds a napkin. Baskets hold pens, paper, and book or two I tend to enjoy in the fall, when I settle into the rocker with a cup of tea. The metal tin, tray and bookcase are basically indestructible and can safely navigate our changing weather conditions and foraging wildlife.

You can find small bookcases at thrift stores, garage sales and used furniture stores. Online marketplaces may also have them although getting sizing information may be a challenge without going to see them in person. I prefer wood bookcases for strength and versatility but those are getting harder to find.

Remember to first measure the space where you want to place one before you head out on your treasure hunt. And check around your house first, you may have forgotten you already have a couple you can repurpose.

For more tips on gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor, subscribe to my weekly Garden Notes.

Charlotte

Dried Hardy Mums

dried yellow hardy mums add color to an outside door wreath. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Dried Hardy Mums

Over the years, I’ve saved dried garden flowers for decorative wreaths; sometimes wreaths hanging outside and other times, inside.

I’ve had this wreath hanging in my den for several decades. It gets a refresher every fall after I add dried flowers during the growing season. This reminds me of the past garden and promises new flowers ahead.

dried flower wreath hanging in my den. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Some wildflowers are excellent for drying for door wreaths, from purple coneflowers to lavender to yarrow. The lavender is a nice addition because they maintain their scent.

Seed pods also make for interesting texture assuming I can keep the squirrels out of them.

New Dried Flowers

This year, I added a new favorite dry flower, hardy mums. I was trimming hardy mums I’m wintering over inside my garage and noticed that the yellow ones were nicely maintaining their color.

A pink one also has potential so I will be adding those to a couple of other wreaths that need to be refreshed.

I have dried rose buds, salvia, yarrow and daffodils drying and hanging from garage hooks.

I don’t know why I didn’t think of hardy mums earlier; they are excellent long lasting cut flowers.

Nice to have another option to add color to my wreaths!

Charlotte

Legend of Christmas Spider

this handmade spider was a gift several years ago. it now has its own tree. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Legend of the Christmas Spider

Do you still add tinsel to your Christmas tree?

We did years ago; that is, until one of our cats decided to eat it and the vet recommended keeping tinsel out of their reach.

Christmas tree tinsel ties back to an Eastern European folktale, most prevalent in Western Ukraine.

Christmas Spider Legend

According to Wikipedia, a poor but hardworking widow once lived in a small hut with her children.

One summer day, a pine cone fell on the earthen floor of the hut and took root. The widow's children cared for the tree, excited at the prospect of having a Christmas tree by winter.

The tree grew, but when Christmas Eve arrived, they could not afford to decorate it. The children sadly went to bed and fell asleep.

Early the next morning, they woke up and saw the tree covered with cobwebs. When they opened the windows, the first rays of sunlight touched the webs and turned them into gold and silver. The widow and her children were overjoyed. From then on, they never lived in poverty again.

There are some variations that tell the story from the perspective of the spiders who wished to see the Christmas tree.

in sunlight, tinsel looks very similar to spider webs. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Christmas Spider Version

According to Southern Living Magazine, another version shared by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension focuses on two mothers, one a spider and the other a peasant. They both give to the other, with the peasant woman allowing the spider and her family to live among the branches of their Christmas tree. The mama spider, in turn, repays the favor by decorating the tree with gorgeous, shimmering webs that cover the branches. 

A second version starts with a tree covered in spider webs. When Santa dropped by to scatter gifts for the children, he saw the tree covered in gray webs left by happy spiders who had traveled down from the dusty attic to behold the spruce. Weaving their webs, they had left a trail of attic dust with each strand of their web. Santa turned the once gray webs into glorious silver strands of tinsel. 

Christmas Spider Legend Origin

The origins of the folk tale are unknown, but it is believed to have come from either Germany or Ukraine.

In Germany, Poland, and Ukraine, finding a spider or a spider's web on a Christmas tree is considered good luck.

Ukrainians also create small Christmas tree ornaments in the shape of a spider (known as pavuchky, literally "little spiders"), usually made of paper and wire. They also decorate Christmas trees with artificial spider webs, which is the origin of using tinsel.

Charlotte

Think Small for Christmas

mouse family add a fun christmas theme to a fireplace mantle. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Think Small for Christmas

Over the years, I’ve watched friends go all out for Christmas, decorating lawns after filing their homes with massive fake trees and garland, then spending months taking them down and renting storage units to keep them until next season.

I’m all for traditions but I also think it’s time to rethink our Christmas consumerism.

How about going small for Christmas decor, adding repurposed items with a favorite theme. Nutcrackers, snowmen and Santas are all easily available in a variety of shapes and sizes. If you love dogs, look for dogs as an ornament theme.

The little mouse mantle collection in the photo started several decades ago when I was traveling for work. They were fun to find at thrift shops and easy to carry home. I kept a photo of the collection handy to compare sizing and ensure the new items would fit in. I didn’t always find one but it was fun looking.

See the little girl mouse in the bed upper left? The ornament was 25 cents at a Milwaukee, Wisconsin thrift store because the bed had a missing leg. A little wood dowel and glue and the ornament looks brand new.

Frankly the little mouse scene has expanded slowly but the treasure hunt has been half the fun.

smaller door wreaths can be fun and easier to store. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Smaller Wreaths

Christmas wreaths can be overwhelming after the holidays. I see them discarded at local thrift stores and recycling centers.

What if you aim for small, easy to reuse artificial wreaths instead, something the kids can decorate with small ornaments and you can easily store.

I now keep my small door wreath collection on pegs inside a closet door.

framed christmas cards can easily set the theme. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Frame Christmas Cards

Christmas cards may be going out of style but you can still find them at grocery stores, pharmacies and the US Post office.

Look through the cards and buy a favorite one to frame. Better yet, if you get a favorite card in the mail or digitally, head to your local thrift store for an inexpensive frame. See how easy it its to add a touch of holiday cheer in book cases and table tops with a framed card.

And while you’re at it, go through your ornament collection and pick one to add with the framed card. You can easily make fun matches and give your Christmas ornaments a second purpose.

tiny christmas trees are versatile as table decor. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Miniature Christmas Trees

Finally rethink needing a large Christmas tree. I now have several miniature Christmas trees that store in a box and can quickly and easily bring the holidays to any room, literally in minutes.

The small miniature tree ornaments are fun to find through the year. Thrift stores and resale shops are good places to look.

Once the miniature trees are decorated, they can be used as table centerpieces, easily located in well-used rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms, and take little room to store.

By the way, the “toys” around the miniature Christmas tree are salt and pepper shakers and a couple of ornaments without their hooks.

The only challenge at my house is the ornaments are cat toy size so I keep a close eye on inquiring paws.

Why bring this up now? So you can shop after Christmas sales, one of the best times to find small Christmas decor for next year.

Charlotte