Gardening
Outdoor Winter Container Gardens
Winter container gardens made of natural materials add beauty and color to the winter landscape.
Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com
Add a bit of greenery to your front steps, window box or patio with a winter container garden. You'll find all the ingredients you need at your local garden center, craft store, and maybe even a few in your backyard.
Start with a walk through your yard and look for evergreens and other potential ingredients for your winter containers. Fruits like rose hips, winterberries, holly berries, crabapples and others add color to the container. Fluffy seedheads of grasses make a nice vertical accent and add a bit of motion to the arrangement.
Next, convert one or two of your summer or fall containers into a winter display. The container should be able to tolerate the winter conditions in your area. Concrete, iron, metal, wood and fiberglass containers are best suited for year-round use. Even plastic pots will last for a few years when left outside.
Or start a new container for winter. Repurpose or purchase a container. Nursery pots that once housed trees and shrubs make excellent options. These black containers provide the perfect backdrop for greenery and are available for free from most garden centers and fellow gardeners.
Make sure the pot has drainage holes to prevent water-logged soil and water from overflowing the pot. Fill the container about 7/8 full with a well-drained potting mix. The soil helps hold the greenery, twigs and other materials in place and adds weight to keep the pot upright throughout the winter.
Consider using a mix of greens for a variety of textures and various shades of green. Pine, spruce, arborvitae, boxwood and junipers may be growing in your landscape and most are available at garden centers. Spruce tips are popular, allowing you to add "mini" trees or create vertical accents in your containers.
Use greens to cover the pot and create an attractive base for your winter display. Place some branches upright and others at a 45-degree angle so the greens drape over the edge. Secure the stems by placing them at least four inches deep in the soil.
Now add some color and vertical interest with stems of red twig dogwoods, paper birch branches, berry-laden stems from holly and winterberry and curly willow branches. Artificial material and outdoor ornaments can also be used. It's your opportunity to get creative.
Do consider adding other elements such as evergreen cones, seed pods, allium seedheads, and balloon plant pods. Leave them natural or add some paint and glitter.
Water thoroughly to remove air pockets and lock your ingredients in place. Keeping the soil moist until the potting mix freezes can help extend the beauty of the greenery. The winter containers will also last much longer in cooler temperatures. And those displayed in more sheltered locations out of direct sunlight and wind will suffer less drying.
Once your container is complete it is time to relax and enjoy your holiday celebrations.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Wild Valley Farms for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Antiques
2023 Auction Results
Photo courtesy of Wayne Tuiskula
I hope that you had a Happy Thanksgiving! As we near 2024, I'll use today's column to share some results from our 2023 auctions.
In previous columns, I've discussed how comic books are classified. As a refresher, Golden Age comics were printed from 1938 to 1956. The Silver Age of comics lasted from 1956 to 1970. The Bronze Age spanned from 1970 to 1985 and the Modern Age began in 1985 and continues today. A Golden Age superheroes comic book in great condition could make you a millionaire. More recent ones can still be valuable, though. We sold a group of Bronze Age and Modern Age X-Men Comic Books that brought $2,880 in November.
Old and newer collectible toys also brought strong prices this year, including two cast iron toys from our June auction. Kenton Toys of Kenton, Ohio began manufacturing toy trucks in 1903, according to the National Museum of American History. An early 1900s Kenton Toys Cast Iron Police Patrol Horse Drawn Carriage brought $960. "Samuel F. Pratt, Pascal P. Pratt, and William P. Letchworth established the Buffalo Malleable Iron Works in 1836," according to worthpoint.com. They began toy production in 1889. A late 19th century Pratt & Letchworth Cast Iron Horse Drawn Steamer Fire Engine sold for $1,020.
Some more modern toys also sold well in our 2023 auctions. "The Munsters" was the 18th highest-ranked TV show for the 1964-65 season. A 1964 Talking Herman Munster figure by Mattel with original box sold for $900. The intro for "Six Million Dollar Man" became a 1970s catch phrase: "We can rebuild him; we have the technology." A 1970s The Six Million Dollar Man Venus Space Probe in the box went for $960. Even newer toys can be valuable. A 2016 Lego Ghostbusters Fire House MIB (mint in box) sold for $780 earlier this year.
Baseball and other sports cards continue to be popular with collectors, especially graded cards of star players. Cards featuring two Hall of Famers brought strong prizes in our June auction. A 1954 Topps Hank (Henry) Aaron #128 PSA 5 (out of 10) Baseball Card fetched $4,425. Mickey Mantle cards in good condition are highly desirable. A 1952 Bowman Mickey Mantle #101 PSA 6 (out of 10) Baseball Card knocked it out of the park, selling for $5,000.
We are expecting more strong auction results at our major multi-estate online auction which starts soon and ends on January 10th. We will be offering fine art including paintings by listed artists (those whose works have sold at auction), Pablo Picasso limited edition pottery, and bronze sculptures. We have gold, platinum, and diamond jewelry and a large amount of sterling silver. There's also a wide range of mid-century modern furniture and accessories. We will also offer aviation and Civil War memorabilia and much more, including a book from the 1600s. Our online estate auction of a Concord, MA home is also currently running and will end on December 12th. The Concord home has fine furnishings, oriental rugs, an antique tall case clock, and more. Please visit our website www.centralmassauctions.com for links to upcoming events.
Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique, Collectibles Auctions and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111).