As you're decking the halls christmas flowers canada and making merry, string up a few locals in your décor. From north to south and sea to sea, the Americas have a host of plants that add perfection to garlands, swags, and centerpieces. Beyond pine cones and evergreens, celebrate the season with a touch of New World history. Here are three to include in your designs.
Nothing perks up holiday style quite like something sprung from a bog. Yet the American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is one of the classics of the season. Native to America, it ranges from Canada to the Appalachian Mountains and westward into Wisconsin. The rambling perennial vine thrives in temperate climates, sending out 6-foot long runners that blanket the ground in a dense mat. Upright shoots spring from this mat, holding aloft the flowers and crimson fruit of this colorful berry.
The boggy soil it needs is comprised of alternating layers of sand and organic matter, such as dead leaves and roots in a wet area. Left undisturbed, the layers form the perfect place for cranberries to grow. Actively growing from March through October, in cultivation the bogs are kept well-drained, then flooded to aid in harvest. Some fruit is harvested dry, but since it's labor-intensive, flood harvesting is more common. Once there is 6 to 8 inches of water above the vines, water reel harvesters are driven through the bog in ever-widening spirals to pluck the fruit, letting it float to the surface where it is corralled and collected for processing.
Native Americans treasured this fruit, using it for dyes, food, and medicine, teaching the Pilgrims to value the crimson berry. A super source of vitamin C, sailors took cranberries on their voyages to stave off scurvy. Captain Henry Hall of Massachusetts is credited with the first cultivation of the berry in 1816.
String the berries into garlands, fill the lower half of clear glass candle holders with them, or float some in water along with votive candles for drama on the table. Gather the kids together to show them how fresh cranberries bounce when you drop them.
Central America gets into the act through popcorn, from which balls and strands are strung. Its small, hard-shelled kernels made it difficult to grind into flour, and thus was a less favorable food crop for Native Americans. But in the 1820s seed companies began marketing popcorn as a novelty crop, and New Englanders, starved for entertainment, took joy in exploding food and purchased seed to grow. christmas flowers canada blogs Popcorn became wildly popular just after the Civil War served plain or as a popcorn ball. Whip up a few popcorn balls, and you're giving your family an historical treat more than a century old.
Petite fruit needn't be confined to berries if you nestle a few Seckel pears into a garlanded mantel or pop them into a centerpiece -- the tiny, chubby, red-blushed pear is an adorable accent. As a bonus, Seckels are a delicious snack, so if dinner is delayed, invite your guests to graze from the decorations.
Much debate surrounds the provenance of the Seckel, which some argue is the only pear native to America. Other experts pooh-pooh this, convinced that European immigrants dropped it, Johnny Appleseed-like, as they crossed the country. Either way, it's one of our historical fruits, discovered around 1760 near Philadelphia.
Firm fleshed and spicy-sweet, if you want a Seckel to last through the holiday, look for those that are glossy-skinned with a light red cast. As it ripens, the red color deepens and the skin takes on a matte finish. Avoid those without stems; they'll rot quickly and ruin the decor.
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