Harvest to Holiday

“Our hosts were a farming family with a modern farmhouse, and they wanted to capture the importance of the harvest and being thankful in their holiday celebrations,” noted Liljestrand. “It was a wonderful opportunity to blend two seasons into one, using natural elements and more earth-toned colors to decorate the home.”

To many people, the heart of the home is the kitchen, and this lovely large farm kitchen has a center island that Liljestrand decorated with the combined themes. The antiqued cabinets with wrought iron hardware made a perfect foil for the wheat stalk centerpiece, surrounded by grape clusters, sweet rhubarb and decorative pumpkins. A soft goldtoned brocade cloth creates the anchor for the island decorations. The table-top pine tree has copper and gold crystal ornaments, along with delicate white lights and metallic gold leaves. In the center, the wine rack has a rustic leaf motif. Fruit topiaries studded with cloves and surrounded with evergreen sprigs plus a lovely brown pottery pitcher filled with fall and pine greenery, meld the seasonal greens. To the side, a crowing fiberstone rooster adds a fun wake-up note to the decorations.

In the dining room, Liljestrand incorporated the family’s love of horses into the centerpiece with a white ceramic horse, saddled with holiday decorations. Set off by simple red table linens, the white horse is a striking accessory. The saddle is decorated with fresh flowers and greens with copper-toned twigs, which hold copper birds and sparkling icicles. The table settings feature a silver charger base, with a hand-carved wood plate on top. A pine cone with frosted leaves holds place cards for each guest. In the corner of the dining room is a minimalist copper tree, constructed by Liljestrand. Mercury glass birds and copper beads both have real feather accents as they sit on the copper wire “branches.”

The front hallway showcases another seasonal blend. The banister going to the second floor is decorated with delicate frosted pine swags, tied with copper ribbon, complemented by an antique wood sled at the stair landing. At the foot of the staircase is another contemporary tree, accented with birch branches, rustic pine cones and large chartreuse ornaments, along with copper birds and ribbon. Keeping watch over the festivities (and the copper-ribboned presents) is a hand-hammered copper owl, next to the tree.

In decorating the living room, Liljestrand didn’t want to inhibit the comfort of the family, but simply added festive touches to celebrate the seasons. In front of a window beside the fireplace, a large pine tree features sprigs of white blossoms, twigs and pine cones, backlit by a multitude of little white lights. A lovely brocade tree skirt in cream, copper and brown is topped by presents that are wrapped in pale cream with copper ribbons. On the entertainment center, a lovely Nativity angel wraps wings around the wisemen, parents and Christ child, while gazing adoringly. Additional greens with white floral accents surround the Nativity scene.

On the coffee table, a woven wrought-iron bowl holds pine cones, ribbons and chartreuse over-sized ornaments, creating a splash of color in the earth-toned room. On the side table, a fiberstone pot holds birch branches with crystal icicles hung from the branches. Slender earth-tone Santa figures sit in front. On the fireplace mantle, a simple garland is accented with a graceful salmon-colored ribbon, just below the artistic collection of fall leaves. Here again, taupe and brown Santas offer cheery faces to the world.

“We’re seeing a lot of nontraditional colors around the holidays,” Liljestrand said. “There’s less glitter, but more metallics. We like to use earthy colors, along with natural fibers. Another favorite is to use local products whenever we can,” she said, “so we had many elements that were produced in Minnesota and North Dakota. For example, the soy candles, wine, flowers, pottery were all from regional sources.”

Creating a holiday mood that transitions seamlessly from harvest to Christmas is a challenge, and this lovely space, decorated by Liljestrand, accomplishes the goal.

Holland’s is decorating another home for the 2012 Home for the Holidays event. “This year, the house we’re decorating will incorporate a Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter fantasy,” she hinted. “We’re planning an owl that delivers letters, floating candles and even fur coats in the wardrobe!”

Home for the Holidays is an annual charity fundraiser, sponsored by the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at NDSU. Each year, local designers transform host homes into holiday fantasies. Tickets are sold, allowing guests to tour the four to five holiday homes, and all the proceeds are then donated to the two charities supported by the sorority: the Great Plains Food Bank’s backpack food program and national diabetes prevention efforts. This year, the open houses will be November 3 and 4, and tickets are available at any participating business, including Hollands.

“We have enjoyed being a part of the Home for the Holidays event,” Liljestrand said. “It’s fun to be creative, and give people ideas for decorating while raising funds for such worthwhile causes!”

Hollands Landscaping and Garden Center has been a favorite destination for plant and tree lovers for over 40 years. Liljestrand worked for Herm Holland for eight years before she and her husband, Mike bought the business in 2001. “We specialize in residential design and hardscapes,” she said. The new location in Moorhead is a “funky urban garden center,” according to Liljestrand. “In addition to being completely organic in our center, we have a lot of repurposed metal creatures and art pieces for the garden.” Hollands is a full-service nursery, with plants grown in North Dakota and Minnesota to ensure hardiness for this region’s climate.

For more information about Hollands or for tickets to Home for the Holidays, please contact:

Mike and Sarah Liljestrand

Hollands’ Lanscaping and Garden Center

1201 Center Avenue

Moorhead, MN 56560 218-233-6131 www.hollandslandscapingandgarden.com

Our community is full of people going about their everyday lives, hoping in some ways to make a difference in the lives of others. The Prairie Roots Food Co-Op endeavors to open a food store that will provide locally-grown foods and encourage whole-food eating. And read the story of the Bucholz family and meet the woman behind Haley’s Hope, a center dedicated to children and adults with dyslexia.