coastal trees make excellent holiday 

 adornments. Acorns and sweet gum 

 balls can be used naturally, sprayed 

 gold or coated with clear glitter for a 

 snowy look. 



If the birds haven't gorged 

 themselves on the fruit, then snip a 

 few berry-laden branches of the 

 native American beautyberry bush for 

 yuletide color, says Spence. The 

 bright purple berries form 

 tight clusters at regular 

 intervals along bare 

 branches. 



And it wouldn't be 

 Christmas without mistle- 

 toe, which grows abun- 

 dantly in coastal North 

 Carolina. The white-berried 

 parasite attaches itself to the 

 branches and trunks of 

 flowering trees. The 

 mistletoe can be added to 

 adornments or hung above 

 doorways to guarantee an 

 ample supply of holiday 

 kisses. 



Wild grasses, natural or 

 sprayed gold, silver or 

 white, can add height to 

 table or mantel arrange- 

 ments or act as an earthy 

 backdrop for a door swag. 



The seed heads of 

 flowers such as coneflow- 

 ers or brown-eyed Susans 

 make excellent natural 

 adornments. And Wheeler 

 says a variety of dried 

 flowers — yarrow, baby's breath, 

 larkspur, statice, strawflower and 

 hydrangea, to name a few — will fit 

 whatever color scheme you have in 

 mind for the holidays. 



Natural fruit — apples, oranges, 

 pineapples, lemons, limes and 

 grapefruit — can liven up wreaths, 

 swags and garlands. And so can nuts. 



To give your holiday trimmings a 

 distinctively coastal look, add 

 seashells, says Wheeler. He's partial 

 to creamy-gray oyster shells, but you 



can use whatever you find along the 

 beach. Wheeler trims the state symbol 

 Christmas tree at the Governor's 

 Mansion with Scotch bonnets, the 

 state shell. Unfortunately, whole 

 specimens of this lovely shell are 

 hard to locate. 



When collecting holiday greenery, 

 use what is available in your own 

 yard. Don't cut branches or berries 



from other areas without permission 

 of the landowner. And never take 

 plants from public lands such as state 

 and federal parks or national forests. 

 This flora belongs to all of us. 



Once you have assembled your 

 branches, berries, cones and fruits, 

 then it's time to condition them. 

 Wheeler suggests crushing the ends 

 of branches and stems before putting 

 them in a bucket to drink a special 

 solution of 1 gallon hot water, one 

 can of Sprite (not diet) and 1/4 cup 



bleach. Leave the cuttings in the 

 mixture several hours. 



Wheeler says this solution helps 

 the plants hold their color and stay 

 fresher in hot, dry winter homes. 



Or you can try another method 

 suggested by Ferguson. She assembles 

 her wreaths and arrangements, then 

 sprays them with clear acrylic floor 

 wax to retard evaporation. Evergreens 

 last longer, and their leaves 

 are shiny. However, do not 

 spray the wax on berries or 

 on citrus fruits such as 

 lemons, limes or oranges 

 because they will turn black. 



For more decorating 

 tips, Ferguson suggests you 

 visit your local library or 

 bookstore. If you would like 

 your decorations to hearken 

 back to times past, she has 

 these suggestions: The 

 Southern Christmas Book 

 by Harnett T. Kane, The 

 Gift of Christmas Past: A 

 Return to Victorian Tradi- 

 tions by Sunny O'Neal and 

 The Christmas Tree Book 

 by Phillip V. Snyder. 



For more modern 

 decorating tips, browse the 

 magazines at your local 

 newsstand. Southern Living, 

 Woman's Day, Redbook and 

 countless other magazines 

 offer how-to ideas for 

 decking your halls. 

 To see how people in 

 decades past celebrated Christmas in 

 coastal North Carolina, visit Tryon 

 Palace. The palace and nearby historic 

 homes are decked in period decora- 

 tions and tables are laden with 

 traditional foods as they evoke the 

 holiday spirit. 



Tryon Palace will be adorned 

 between Dec. 9 and 22. Please call 

 ahead for tour times, group reserva- 

 tions and costs. The telephone number 

 is 919/638-1560. 



ByKathyHart 



COASTWATCH 19 



