By Ron Stafford
Dale and Sally Foster, owners of An Eastridge Garden located in Centreville, invite you to visit their unique plant nursery and garden supply store, especially during the holiday season when they open their Christmas shop. They offer a variety of holiday items: festive table centerpieces; unusual gift ideas for those difficult-to-buy-for persons on your list; wreaths and greenery for decorating your home indoors or outdoors; and, novel ideas for decorating Christmas trees and other plants.
Why not consider purchasing a boxwood and decorating for the holidays rather than the usual Christmas tree? The ideas are endless, and An Eastridge Garden can help you with your decorating needs. Dale and Sally opened their gift shop in 1995, and the popularity and size of their shop has grown each year. Here are some “tricks of the trade” the Fosters offer for decorating the perfect Christmas tree.
• Choose a basic theme for your tree. It can be based on the style of the room in which you are placing the tree (modern, Victorian, country, nature); on a special family theme (handmade ornaments, vacation memories,); or, fun themes such as a Santa tree or a pine cone tree.
• Color coordinate your ornaments. Try an all-red theme, a blue and green theme, or an all-white theme. If you are really creative, go for a non-traditional Christmas color such as purple.
• Select a main focal point of the tree and start working your decorations around the tree. Begin with filler ornaments and then place your specialty ornaments where they can standout.
• Be sure to place your ornaments on both the inside and outside of the tree to create depth and interest. Do not hang all your ornaments on the tips of branches.
• If you are decorating a live tree, be sure to properly preserve the tree so you can enjoy it longer. Add the product Prolong to hot water at the base of the tree. The tree will soak up a lot of water during the first week, so be sure to check the water level regularly and add warm water as needed.
For more information on this and other unique offerings, visit the Fosters at An Eastridge Garden at 533 Dulin Clark Road in Centreville, or give them a call at 410-758-3650. They are open year round, and their hours of operation through the end of December are Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm and Sundays 10am to 4pm. Their website is eastridgegarden.com.