Once the garland is on the mantle, the wreath is up, and the tree is in its stand, it’s time to trim. Though some say there is no art involved in trimming a tree or garland, there are a few things I think make for a more beautiful result. There are no end of choices for trimming. Some people like natural materials or ornament made from natural materials. Some like a little gleam, glitter and glitz. My personal preference-the ability to change things from year to year. But no matter in what manner I might be trimming, I have a method.
I have clients with what I call family history trees. At the very least the ornaments have been collected over a period of years, and represent the history of the family holidays. Some ornament is handmade by children, family members, or friends. A friend has a tree decorated entirely with birds and beasts of every description and in varying materials. The inspiration for this tree? An ornament of an animal that he gave his Mom as a small child he found wrapped in tissue in her jewelry box after he lost her. His tree is about his memories of her, and their relationship. The ornaments for trees like this tend to be all different materials, and all different colors-how can the trimming be done in a cohesive way?
Woody has amassed a collection of spheres of all types and sizes that he adds to the members of his ark. The round shape is repeated all over the tree, giving the tree an overall pattern the eye can make sense of. I should add that he arranges the animals, birds and insects differently every year. One year he organizes by breed, another year he may organize by color. The family tree pictured above is pulled together visually by means of a bell garland that winds its way from top to bottom. The bell garland signals immediately that this is a family tree, designed to delight the children in the household.
Garlands are not only beautiful in their own right, they help stitch a visual project together. Once I have put the individual ornaments on a tree, I will add the garland. I can follow the pattern of the lights, spiral down the tree, or make horizontal or vertical stripes. Good garland is wired everywhere-so individual branchlets can be fluffed out, and stand proud of the silhouette of the tree. If I am installing garland outdoors, I soak a section in water for a while to be sure it can hold up to wet weather.
Ribbon makes a great garland. I like a substantial wiring in both edges of the ribbon, so it will pouf out and stay where I want it. I am one of those ribbon-challenged individuals. I glue my bows together, as the ones I make with my own hands are pretty sorry looking. I’ve been known to shorten pants and upholster chairs with my gluegun too. But wired ribbon makes me look good, as it is easy to arrange. After all, trimming the Christmas tree is supposed to be fun, not frustrating.
Lynn’s very unusual and striking Christmas tree is a foam form covered in preserved chartreuse leaves. This form is the most important visual element; there are only a few ornaments. The “garland” is actually aluminum wire that floats around the tree like the rings around Saturn. Only every so often is the wire is secured to the tree. The column vase with a ball top-a purchase at Smith and Hawkins many years ago. I filled the bottom of the vase with white sand-this provides a secure base for the tree. Red tinsel garland, and red and green bead garland fill the ball portion of the vase.
This mantle is dressed in a beautifully made artificial pine garland. Finished in Jeffrey pine cones, it has great textural interest. Now what?
It’s the small bits that bring it to life. Small plain glass balls-shiny and matte-add depth, interest, and density to any trimming project. Clusters of tiny red ornaments look like berries on a tree. Clusters of larger red ornaments hung on the interior of a tree get the tree full of color, just as it is full of light; one’s prized ornaments can be front and center on the tips of the tree branches.
This is a landscape of a different sort, but a landscape, nonetheless.
Fireplace mantles were invented so we could put stuff on them, right? I do have clients with contemporary homes that do away with the frivolity of a mantle, but I like them for what I can do with them. More than most architectural features, a fireplace is a visual representation of the idea of home-a place around which to gather, be warm, and be safe. A mantle can be home to a revolving collection of objects during the year; their height makes them perfect for displaying those small personal things that benefit from a placement at eye level. But a mantle is never more in its glory than it is at the holidays. Traditionally, gardeners drag all sorts of materials in from outdoors, and custom construct a holiday coat that dresses up that shelf over the fireplace. This mantle began with a natural garland, to which Jeffrey pine cones, nests, cardinals, holly and berry picks were added. Very warm and cozy.
I like a garland centerpiece. In this case, a small wreath constructed of individual pine cone bits identifies the center. The feathered red birds, a symbol of the wildlife so precious in a garden, are nesting here and there. A natural garland may dry quickly indoors, but the smell of fresh greens in season is a little bit of heaven at home.
Armoires, cabinets and the like can be dressed up with garland as well. This antique china cabinet has a gorgeous spiky hat of faux pine and giant cones. A stately and quiet nod to the season. 
Formal fireplaces adapt to dressing just fine. White berry garlands, clear creamy snowflakes and ornately carved ornaments are appropriate to the limestone, silver, and formal furnishings in the room. 
If I use ornament on a mantle, I like to hang some over the edge. This can be a construction problem, if the mantle is shallow, and the garland heavy. In this case, I loaned my client lead pot feet, which I wired to the garland. These keeps everything securely on top, even though the display spills over the front edge. Some garland I attach to a bamboo pole that runs the entire length of the mantle. Once the heaviest element is stabilized, I can add on.
This garland is woven with large old fashioned white lights, and red LED berry clusters. The garland is wired to a heavy iron candelabra. As this fireplace is in the family room, and host to gathering involving grandkids, all the ornament is plastic. Kids so like to touch things-and why shouldn’t they? 
A holiday mantle can be glamorous. The relationship of the large pearly ornaments and birch tubes is an interesting one. I cannot imagine how the bark is removed intact from a birch log, but here they are. The light weight makes them perfect for hanging over the edge of the mantle. White at the holidays is beautiful.
A pair of tall cone shaped topiaries are finished in off-white double faced satin. This ribbon is a sumptuous material that shines softly. This treatment over a cone form is so fast and easy, it can be changed out for other seasons. 
There is ornament designed specifically for mantles; they are usually narrow and quite heavy. Close to Christmas, the children’s stockings will be hung from them. An artificial pine garland is augmented with fresh noble fir; if artificial greens are the order of the day, adding some natural greens greatly improve the overall appearance. 
Glass ornaments in wine red and chocolate complete the look. The faux white pine has pleasingly overscaled needles that give this mantle a very festive look. I like bringing the feeling of the outdoors inside.
The walk to the front door is kept company by an overscaled concrete planter of our manufacture. The stick stack frames the house numbers on the wall. A walk that does not immediately appear to lead anywhere needs a strong signal-come this way, please. How the weather works on these twig stacks is a hand over which I have no control. They gracefully open and bend with the weather in a way I could not duplicate. Two parts a client, two parts nature, and one part from me-looking good.
There is ample room on the terrace for this pair of Francesca squares. Like all of the other pots, these squares are sparingly lit. It is less than two weeks to the shortest day of our year.
Four Francesca flutes make for a striking holiday garden at the front door. This Italian terra cotta is tough enough to withstand our vile winters; the ability to have terra cotta outside at this time of year is cause for celebration in and of itself. Some contemporary expression is hard on the eyes, and lacking human softening; this can border on cold. This is no time of year to add cold to the cold we already have. I so like how she chose materials so soft in color, and so subtle in contrast-it was up to me to put them together in a contemporary way. The interplay of contemporary and traditional elements is lively. 
The raindrop pots got their topdressing yesterday. I decided a mix of noble fir and fresh silver dollar eucalyptus would be just the thing to set off all that glass. The eucalyptus wavers in the slightest breeze-just like that glass. The color is bright-not a bad choice for weather which is predominately overcast. A little morning rain gave everything a fresh look.
Eucalyptus stems are wiry, but slight. Sandwiching them between the stiff layers of the fir gives them some much needed support. Up close, the red stems repeat the red/brown crabapple trunks-this a visual bonus. The network of stems need to resist the weight of the snow that is sure to come. Much like arranging a vase of flowers, we cross stems over one another. Under the green, a woody nest.
Pam made quick work of this phase; the fact that she is a great gardener endows her work with a natural and graceful feeling. The greens were stuffed slightly wider that the dripline established by the glass. The dry foam form into which all of these greens are stuffed are bricks that have been glued together, and wired with concrete wire. We have only to come by some sunlight to get some sparkle going on. 
Rob decided to light the pots with strings of clear c-9 bulbs. We set them well into the foliage; the green cords are not a good look. This warm light is in contrast to all the attendant blue, makes much of the warm brown of the trunks, and the olive orange winter color of the boxwood. 
Late in the day, the drops start picking up light from the bottom. The eucalyptus discs repeat the round shapes of the drops.
