Five fabulous ways to bring nature indoors for the holidays

<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">Five fabulous ways to bring nature indoors for the holidays</font></h2><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">(ARA) – Tucking your garden in for the winter doesn’t have to put an end to enjoying the beauty of your landscape. Freshen up this holiday season with touches of nature to enhance your home and spirit.</span></p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Follow these five easy steps to bring nature inside your home this holiday season:</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>1. Soothe the senses:</strong> Make a special potpourri incorporating some garden favorites and traditional ingredients of the season. Look outdoors for items that stand out: pinecones, acorns, seed pods, dried flowers, small leaves, bits of evergreen. You can also look to the kitchen cabinet for familiar scents and flavors of the holiday: cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole nutmeg, star anise, orange peel, dried apple slices, cranberries and lemon peel. Be creative – what do the holidays mean to you?</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Once the ingredients have been collected, be sure they are dry. If necessary, bake at 150 degrees for five to six hours to dry thoroughly (especially recommended for items like apple slices, cranberries, orange and lemon peels), or use a food dehydrator. Then, combine ingredients together and add essential oils (available online, in craft stores and organic markets). Place in a glass bowl or a sachet to give a room or drawer a fresh new scent. Package a cup of potpourri in a mesh bag to give as a gift, and tie with a colorful ribbon. You may also use your potpourri in a simmering pot by placing 1 cup potpourri in 1 cup water in a small saucepan on the back burner of your stove. Simmer for 20-30 minutes to fill your home with the festive scents of the holidays.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>2. Perk up those potted plants:</strong> Give <a href="http://www.scotts.com/smg/learn/infoHowToArticle.jsp?detailId=art1400342">indoor plants</a> a holiday makeover this year. Re-pot plants that are tired or root-bound into festive, colored pots filled with Miracle-Gro Potting Mix or Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix. Once potted, remember to feed your plant. Try Miracle-Gro Watering Can Singles or Miracle-Gro Organic Choice All-Purpose Plant Food (derived from natural sugar beet molasses). Both options will give these leafy friends a nutritious treat. Bring the outside in this holiday and incorporate live plants into your tablescape.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>3. Give the gift that keeps on growing:</strong> Now that you’ve spruced up this holiday season with indoor plants, help others do the same. Plants improve indoor air quality and can also <a href="http://www.scotts.com/smg/learn/infoHowToArticle.jsp?detailId=14400072" target="_blank">lift spirits</a>. A live plant can bring the warmth of nature to someone’s home for years to come. Festive favorites for this time of year include: poinsettias, amaryllis, Christmas cactus, Norfolk pines and topiaries made of herbs and ivy. Simply place these plants into a colorful pot, basket, or gift bag and tie with a ribbon. If gifting a live plant to someone inexperienced with indoor plants, include simple care instructions on a gift tag along with a container of plant food.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>4. Deck the halls:</strong> Your garden may be in hibernation for the winter, but it can still bring plenty of holiday joy. Evergreen boughs, magnolia leaves, poppy pods, dried hydrangeas, acorns, pinecones and oak leaves are just a few of the interesting things found in your garden that could be used to make a wreath or centerpiece. Start with a foam frame or base and layer on the different textures while paying attention to the varying colors. Paint some items, such as leaves or pinecones, in gold or silver. Add a garland made of cranberries, popcorn and orange peel for additional color. A live tree is another great way to bring nature inside for the holidays. Potted or balled evergreens are available at most nurseries this time of year in varying sizes and shapes. Ask at the nursery for proper care instructions so that it may be transplanted into the garden to increase greenscapes rather than adding to a landfill.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/18a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/18a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>5. Spice things up:</strong> Enhance holiday fare and start an <a href="http://www.scotts.com/smg/learn/infoHowToArticle.jsp?detailId=15300016" target="_blank">herb garden</a> on a warm, sunny window ledge. Grow fresh rosemary and sage to perk up the holiday turkey. Give sprigs of flavorful herbs or bouquet garni to the foodies in your life. Use twine to attach snips of rosemary, thyme, sage and bay leaves together for a flavorful combination that is sure to seduce their senses.</p>  <p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">This year, when preparing for the holidays, maximize your landscape by bringing the outdoors in.</span></p></span>