Seasonal Herb Decorations

To celebrate Christmas last year my husband, our children and I gathered together in our house in France. We each arrived from a different part of Europe, everyone laden with food, wine and presents. Late on Christmas Eve I realized that in the excitement of reunion I had forgotten to organize a traditional Christmas tree. So on a bright, cold night, I stepped out into the garden and by the light of a torch cut down several large branches from our huge bay tree. Tied together and wedged into a pail of sand, the instant ‘tree’ looked beautiful - dark green, lustrous and festive. We decorated the herb tree with small wooden toys and golden apples and, according to custom in our family, piled everybody’s presents beneath it, ready for Christmas Day. Other shrubby herbs also make fine decorations at Christmas. A rosemary bush, a myrtle or a box are all suitable evergreens for indoor decoration.