Place boughs in damp

From page 13
midity higher.

The plastic pot can be wrapped
in Christmas paper or. covered
with a white cloth to simulate:
snow. :

Check the soil every other day
and don’t let it become too dry.
Even the smallest tree will lose a
great deal of moisture in a house
with hot, dry air.

As soon after New Year’s Day
as possible move your tree toa
cool basement or protected porch
area to allow it to adjust to the
possible sub-zero weather before
replanting it in the garden.

To be sure [ can replant my tree

- even if the ground has frozen ..
- since mid-December, I leave the
hole open and cover it with a

. thick iayer of mulch or dead

ferns.

+ This covering ‘will prevent .
" deep-freezing and allow easier
: replanting. :

“You may. wish to rotate the tree
180 degrees in the hole each year
to develop a more even rate of
growth. Mine is a bit lop-sided,
which makes it easier to fit into
the corner of the room.

~: Regular commercial Christmas
‘trees are cut in October and,
November aiid sold in December.

“If they have been in storage too
long or subjected to.dry, sub-zero
weather-they, bécome dehydrated ;
‘and will start to drop needles | as
soon as they are set up in a warm
‘, room. ;

“: Further, dehydration i in the ©.
house can make them a real fire
hazard.

. As soon as you purchase your
tree, cut an inch off the bottom of
‘the trunk and put the tree into a
pail of water.

_ You may choose to make a

‘Fresh poinsettias
_ Arriving Daily

460 Mountain Highway, North Vancouver

further cut when erecting the tree
in its stand.

Not everyone will see your dec-
orated tree, so why not comple-
ment it with a Christmas wreath
or seasonal basket at the front
door or entranceway?

Wreaths and baskets are easy to
construct and can be a great fam-
ily project.

For a wreath you will need a
circular base or hoop on which
you'll tie the greenery. This can be
a commercial wire frame or a
series of branches woven into a
circle,

Grape vines or weeping willow
branches work very well because
they are long, straight and very
flexible.

You’re now ready to collect a
good armfull of fresh boughs
from a pine, spruce or fir which
are all bushy conifers.

With a ball of string, tie the

first branch onto the hoop and
then place the second so it covers
the string and the bare end of the
branch.

- The more boughs you use, the
fuller the wreath will be,

When you have worked your
way around the hoop, add a few
large pine cones or bells and a
nice piece of red ribbon.

Use pine boughs that are 12 to
18 inches long and sharpen the
stub ends by making a long angle
cul So they can be stuck into the
damp soil.

Place the first row so they arch
down over the edge of the basket.
The sec&ad row should stick
straight out or slightly up and the
third row or last few will point
up.

Intersperse the pine boughs with
a selection of holly, cotoneaster,
pyracentha or other branches with
bright-colored berries.

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