Cyprysy, cyprysiki i jałowce na Święta

Today's installment of our holiday series will focus on cypresses. Before Christmas, they often serve as miniature Christmas trees. How can you care for them so they're a decorative addition not only this year but also in the years to come, and how can you create interesting decorations with them? More on that in a moment. Enjoy! Dark green, columnar little trees are cypresses. But they're not the only ones available in stores at this time of year. You can also buy cypresses, which are usually lighter in color and spread out at the base, like a Christmas tree. When you rub the leaves, you'll notice a pleasant, slightly lemony scent – ​​that's their hallmark. You can also sometimes find junipers with a slender, towering shape. All look equally beautiful. Lawsonian cypresses, such as the Ellwoodii variety, are the most common Christmas trees. We also often grow this species in gardens, so there's nothing stopping you from finding a spot for them in your garden after the holidays. This variety is slow-growing, typically reaching 2-3 meters, growing about 10 cm per year. Another interesting cypress variety is 'Snow White,' meaning "white snow," a name referring to the light-colored growths at the top, which appear somewhat snow-covered. It can withstand frost down to about -20 degrees Celsius, so it can also be placed outdoors. More sensitive are cypresses native to California, but often associated with the Mediterranean region. During the holidays, you'll most often find the golden-yellow variety 'Goldcrest Wilma' in stores. In gardens, they can be grown in zone 7b, where winter temperatures don't drop below -15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit). This is a cypress I bought two years ago. It was as small as this one then. It's been in the garden ever since. It's been part of many arrangements. This year, it's going to be part of another. During the first Christmas, it was a house decoration. I didn't put it outside until spring, when there was no risk of heavy frosts. Since then, it's been a constant decoration in garden pots. It spent the next winter outside and survived without a problem. Now, it's also going outside. However, I'll keep the cypresses, junipers, and the little cypresses I bought this year indoors for now. Once the holidays are over, I'll move them to a greenhouse where the temperature doesn't drop below 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit). And in the spring, they might join other plants in multi-species arrangements; they could, for example, serve as a backdrop. for flowering plants. But before that happens, let's get back to the holiday spirit, because now these cypresses will become miniature Christmas trees, elements of Christmas wreaths and decorations. And we'll start with a golden-green cypress. Simply place it in your chosen container, and your Christmas ornament is ready. However, if we want to further decorate our miniature tree, we can use lights. It's worth choosing ones that are lightweight so as not to overload the delicate cypress or cypress branches. For my cypress, I chose LED lights on a wire that won't burn the plant, are very lightweight, and are easy to shape, although untangling them isn't easy. You can also hang baubles on such a mini tree, but remember that they should also be mini. In my case, the small white, red, and gold balls will end up on the juniper. Its branches aren't as delicate as those of cypress or cypress. Cypress trees, so these types of decorations will easily hold it without harming it. However, we can harm ourselves by decorating junipers, as this plant is very prickly. So, it's worth being careful or wearing gloves. Instead of baubles or decorative lights, we can also tie a decorative chain around our small Christmas tree. And now two suggestions for those who prefer subdued decorations that evoke nature. This cypress will go in a white bucket, and the decoration will only be at the bottom of the plant. I'll place ivy and arborvitae branches that I collected earlier in the garden. The ivy is growing like crazy in my garden, and pruning is highly recommended, and the arborvitae was planted mainly so I could give it a light trim before Christmas. The branches will be joined by a pine cone, a wooden white reindeer, and a small bauble. Of course, we could also use other Christmas attributes we like best instead. The next container will contain three cypress trees in 'Snow White' variety. The bark box itself creates a forest atmosphere. And the white growths at the top of the miniature trees look as if they were lightly dusted with snow. The ivy will join them; its trimmed branches will look decorative for a long time, drying out slightly but not losing their beauty. If they were planted in the ground, most of them would likely take root. I'll arrange them densely enough to fill all the empty spaces in the pot. Add two tiny pine cones on the ivy leaves and two larger ones next to the container, and you're done.