As part of my fall decor, I have put up an autumn
tree for several years. Last year I adorned the tree in the solarium with dried naturals and we
enjoyed it so much that we decided to do the same this year. With this goal in
mind, I began gathering my "goodies" in September. As before, most of
what is used on the tree is simply dried on the stalk. Milkweed pods,
goldenrod, Autumn Joy sedum, aronia, two varieties of hydrangea, pinecones,
fountain grasses and a few other plants came from our yard. I also used teasel weed, little blue stem and,
with thanks to my aunt and uncle sharing their IN stash, beautiful bittersweet.
Last year in our Missouri Conservationist magazine
I read about preserving autumn leaves in a mixture of 1/3 glycerin and 2/3
water and so I also gave that a try this year with success. They recommended
filling a disposable aluminum cake pan with the concoction, submerging the
leaves and allowing them to soak for three to five days. They are pliable and retain their color. I was able to tuck them into the branches.
