A DAY with Katharina begins …

In the future, I want to dedicate my farm blog not only to sharing good recipes, but also to letting readers participate in the daily work on the farm. Giving tips on how to dry herbs, how to make jam. This evening, I’ll describe the possibilities for decorating a balcony or house entrance for winter.

In late autumn, we bring the mountain pines down from the alm – a strenuous job. My brother-in-law Sepp and all the children go up early in the morning. Then the mountain pines in our alm area are snipped with pliers, tied into bundles, and pulled down to the hut. The Jeep is loaded, and usually by noon, everyone returns from the alm. The winter decoration for our houses and our family is secured. We also like to use them for decorating graves.

When I came to the farm, my mother-in-law Rosmarie initiated me into how to properly arrange the mountain pines in the flower boxes so that they last all winter and look fresh.

It’s best to leave the flower boxes with the soil directly on the balcony. I always just cut off the summer balcony flowers, the stem, and leave the firm soil in the balcony box. Then I water them thoroughly so that the soil softens a bit and the mountain pines can be inserted more easily.

The large bundles of mountain pines are opened, and the pines are cut diagonally so they can be inserted more easily, if possible, all roughly the same length. Then you carry them up to the balcony in a box and start inserting them. They look best when arranged in “rows.” That means for each box, you start by inserting the first row right at the front, then the second. We do four rows per box. So, first water, then insert, then water again. You have to insert the mountain pines relatively deep so that the wind doesn’t carry them away and “pull them out” one day in winter.

If it’s a beautiful autumn, it’s advisable to water them every few days, like flowers, to keep them fresh. Shortly before it gets really cold and frosty, I water them thoroughly one last time so that the soil freezes and the mountain pines are fixed. When Christmas time begins, loops and baubles are added. I find that the mountain pines, even if they take some time, are a beautiful eye-catcher, especially on old farmhouses, and I really enjoy this work.

How do you like this floral decoration? We still have two bundles of mountain pines, so if anyone is interested in decorating, please get in touch as soon as possible.

Wishing you success with your decorating, Farmer Katharina from Zittrauerhof in Gasteinertal.