FESTIVE TABLE

Fairylight Wonderland

Bromeliads must be the easiest of plants to use. Thriving on neglect, they can grow with the minimum of soil and only need a mist or two occasionally. Tying them on to a log with a stocking, filling gaps with sphagnum moss, and adding fairy lights for impact, you can become a star mini-landscape-creator in no time. And they are quite happy with low light conditions.

Display Your Fruit And Eat It

Overindulgence during the holidays can cause many feelings of regret when the new year rolls in. What better way to add fruit to your and the kids’ diet during this time, than by

“THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO ADD CHRISTMAS CHEER TO A TABLE THAN BY CREATING IT YOURSELF,” SAYS GARDEN GURU TANYA VISSER. “AFTER ALL, IT IS THE SEASON FOR GIVING. WITH JUST A FEW ESSENTIALS, LET LOOSE YOUR ARTISTIC FLAIR AND GET THE WHOLE FAMILY INVOLVED WITH THESE DELIGHTFUL TABLE DECORATIONS”

making fun fruit arrangements. All you need is a small bucket, floral foam, and skewers. Place the floral foam in the bucket, making sure that it fits snuggly. Cover with water. Push the sharp end of the skewer into the fruit and the other end into floral foam. By adding flowers from the garden, gaps can be filled in between the fruit. Get really creative, and add mini tomatoes and leafy edible greens to your arrangement.

Tanya Visser is the editor of The Gardener magazine and well known to gardeners in South Africa. *

FOR MORE INFO For more great gardening tips and fun DIYs, visit www.tanyavisser.com or www.thegardener.co.za