A close-up of a wreath in Colonial Williamsburg's Historic District. The interesting elements are the cotton bolls which actually are grown in the fields of Williamsburg and lady apples which I researched on the web:
"Lady Apples are the oldest variety known, first cultivated by the Romans. The French loved them and thought they were a royal apple; early American colonists thought of them as a symbol of wealth. Lady Apples are not available everywhere, but where they are, they make their appearance just before Thanksgiving and stay until Christmas. Very small, with bright red and yellow coloring, they are a cheerful holiday fruit that’s fun to eat (two bites is all it takes). Don’t peel Lady Apples because the peel adds to the winey, semisweet taste of the flesh. You can cook them with lamb, pork, or ham, use them as a garnish, or add them to roasted vegetables such as potatoes. My mother used to drop them into our Christmas stockings and use them as ornaments on the tree. They also look especially pretty on a wreath. Left out, they dry nicely; refrigerated, they last up to four weeks."
The yellow flowers grow like weeds in the fields and, dried, will last a long time. It appears that the holly berries are already beginning to look a little tired. Some other wreaths were decorated with orange and lemon slices and they gave the appearance of dried fruit.
Beautiful picture! I never knew that about Lady Apples. I'm guessing my parents might have grown something like this because the apples were so small. I'll have to ask.
