Did you know that there's an easy way to get pine pitch and sap from holiday greens off your hands and that it's probably sitting on your baking shelf? Vegetable shortening will do the trick. "You could use butter, but the shortening is cheaper," laughed Francine Crawford from The Garden Club of the Back Bay (GCBB).
After just a couple of hours of wreath making, this Garden Club volunteer's hands were filled with sap. When she's ready to clean up, the club has a container of shortening by the sink. As you can see, "baking sticks" are perfect to keep around for this job.
Scrub those sticky spots with a bit of Crisco (or the less expensive house brand) and you'll save your hands. Then, a bit of dishwashing detergent will wisk away the grease. Francine says they learned this trick from a GCBB speaker a few years ago.
Each year, Ed and I stop into The Garden Club of the Back Bay's "Wreath Week" Workshop to soak up some seasonal spirit and visit with the incredible volunteers who give up days of their time right at the start of the holiday rush to decorate, deliver, and raise funds with hundreds of wreaths. And because the room is full of brilliant people, we always learn a few new things about a wide range of topics.
If you love walking around the wonderful Back Bay neighborhood with all its trees and gardens, you owe a debt of gratitude and support to this organization. You might still be able to purchase a simple wreath with a bow while supplies last. "Sadly, we are unable to accept orders for fully decorated wreaths during wreath making days, but you may put your name on our mailing list for advance notification next season," they posted on their website.
You can also make a direct contribution to the group. The GCBB will add that to the funds they raise on occasions like this and put the money to work on planting, inoculating, tree pruning, and many more projects that you can see at this link.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino
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