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Décor materials include fruit, greens, flowers and delights!
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The tour is a mix of colonial and modern homes.
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Photos courtesy of Green Spring Garden Club members Marie Bond and Deanna Isemann.
Looking for ways to spiff up your home for the holidays? Consider taking in the annual Christmas Homes Tour on December 2 for inspiration.
The tour, presented by the Green Spring Garden Club, features six homes this season: The Nelson-Galt House, the Edinburgh Castle Tavern and the Benjamin Waller House, all located within the Historic Area, and three other homes in the Walnut Hills neighborhood.
Talented floral arrangers from the club assist with thedecoration of the homes each year with festive flowers and plants from their gardens. These include “assorted greenery such as pine, magnolia, holly and spruce along with fruits like pineapple, pomegranate, apples, lemons and limes,” said Marie Bond, a garden club member and one of the tour decorators.
Sure, ribbons and bows add a nice touch, but Bond suggests thinking outside of the box when it comes to holiday décor. Adornments for the Christmas Homes Tour are decided based on each room’s theme or colors.
“Vintage musical instruments can be featured in wreaths, garlands and arrangements to follow the theme of a room,” Bond said.
You can also use home and garden items such as chicken feeders, paper Chinese food takeout containers, and even a toilet plunger to make topiaries.
“They are fun and make great conversation pieces,” shares Beverly Krams, a Green Spring Garden Club member and designer.
Anything is possible when it comes to holiday decorating, so let your personality and creative side shine.
“Use a collection of items, memorabilia from your family’s past or a whimsical touch to decorate your home. You can use an inexpensive faux garland or wreath as a base and add some fresh greens, berries, or fruit to keep the costs down. These can be easily refreshed to last through the season.”
Not only are natural elements a staple of the houses on the Christmas Homes Tour, but also of Bond’s own home as well. She enjoys adorning her home with fresh greenery and fruits, antique toys and other family heirloom pieces, ornaments and sugar houses she’s collected since childhood.
“Every year, I find a new way to use my favorite decorations and treasures to bring a warm holiday feel to my home,”Bond said.
greenspringgardenclub.org/christmas-homes-tour
