…outside of your home, of course! If spring cleaning of the garden includes removing winter greens from containers and window boxes, don’t toss them to the curb, put them to good use. They make great bonfire starters!

Okay, I know last year I wrote about setting ornamental grasses ablaze in the spring as a quick means to cutting them back and all, but this is a legal idea (as far as I know) and much more controlled. Guess I’m becoming old and wise. Ha! Not.

The reality is that I felt way too guilty keeping our kids home for a “stay-cation” on spring break this year AND making them work in the garden, so I hired outside help cutting those 12′ bad-boys down, all 30 of them. Let me tell you, the kids were hap-hap-happy about that decision. And, I think that I actually scored some imaginary “parental points” with them for all of five minutes. Hey, with a teen and a tween living here, I’ll take what I can get.

Back to the subject…we do keep all of our holiday garlands, wreaths, and greens in a pile outside, out of sight. When it comes time to garden on a chilly spring morning or when it comes time to enjoy a glass of wine on the patio after dark, these dried gems are perfect for for starting a warm and cozy fire.

It’s a simple pleasure to hear the snap, crackle and pop of a roaring fire as a gardener enables spring to awaken the garden. Stay warm and enjoy!

Winter greens are past their prime in this window box. Now, it’s a perfect time for them to serve as fire starters in a fire-pit.

Note: Extremely flammable (obviously). Store them and handle them with care.