Bedford Square now reflects the upcoming holiday spirit since the town parking horse posts have recently been decorated with evergreen swags adorned with pine cones and red bows.
The swags were planned by Downtown Bedford Inc.(DBI), assisted by the Bedford County Master Gardeners.
The Master Gardeners met several times to make the bows and swags under the direction of Bedford County Master Gardener coordinator, Kay Kring and Lorraine Blackburn, Master Gardener, who had assisted with downtown decorations for the past three years.
Evergreens for the swags were donated by Five Fields Farm in New Buena Vista. Nanette Pittman, Master Gardener trainee; her husband, Doug; son Aiden Pittman, and brother Mike Whitfield helped with cutting the trees for donation.
Directions are included for anyone interested in making the swags at home for their own decor.
• Evergreen branches (approximately 30 inches)
• Twine, floral wire or long zip ties (approx. 12 in. length)
• Ribbon (optional) (Bedford swags used 9 ft. length)
• Picks or ornaments (optional)
• Plant protector such as Wilt Stop
Directions for assembling the swags:
• First, choose your evergreens. The swags on the Bedford streets this year are designed with Frazier fir and white pine. Swags can be made with a single kind of green or if one prefers different textures, it is possible to combine different kinds of pine and some holly sprigs.
• Gather or buy the the branches, cut the branches the size you desire (the downtown swags measure approximately 30 inches) and layer the pine varying in length. Lay the largest branch down first then layer the others on top until it looks as full as you want it. Next, using twine or wire, (Blackburn led the master gardeners to use zip ties), tie the tops of the branches together as you tie in pine cones or your choice of decoration.
• Attach a bow to the top, hiding your twine or wire. If unable to make bows, directions are available online or already made bows can be purchased. Pinecones or ornaments can be hot glued to the swag for added decoration. After the swag is completed, the greens should be sprayed with Wilt Stop or another plant protector to extend the life of the evergreens through the season.
• The decorative swags will adorn the streets of Bedford until the end of the holiday season.
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