Table Talk Charlie’s Donuts

Go Natural for Holiday Décor

By Pamela A. Keene | Photography courtesy of Olive Branch Florist

The materials to make your most stunning holiday centerpiece may be right in your own backyard.

A trend toward natural materials is one of the more pleasant outcomes associated with the increase in home gardening throughout the pandemic. “More people have taken up gardening in the past couple of years,” says Dee Dee Erfurdt, owner of Olive Branch Florist in Olive Branch, Mississippi. “As such, we’re seeing more natural and home-grown plant materials being used for weddings and for holiday decorations.” Pampas grass, palm spears, and dried flowers add texture to arrangements, and they can lend a traditional look to Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Erfurdt also likes to incorporate feathers and other natural components into her tablescapes. “Feathers and birds are especially popular because they introduce such wonderful rich colors in nature’s palette,” she says. “And this season, our floral suppliers have also crafted a wide choice of birds with natural colors, from cardinals and gold finches to lovely pheasants and chickadees. They come in all sizes and can be used not only for tablescapes, but in garlands, wreaths, and the family Christmas tree.” Rick Pudwell, director of horticulture at the Memphis Botanic Gardens, says holiday decorating with natural materials has long been popular in the South. “Evergreens, such as plum yew and cryptomeria, make a fabulous foundation for arrangements,” he says. “Not only are they beautiful, their fragrance accentuates the holiday spirit.”

Other options known to grow in residential landscapes include holly, ivy, juniper, osmanthus, and magnolias. For fresh-cut greens, Pudwell suggests clipping them and immediately putting them into a large bucket of water to keep them fresher for a longer period of time.

“Bring them indoors and let them sit for 24 hours before arranging them,” he says. “And if you’re using floral oasis, be sure to soak it thoroughly so that it absorbs the maximum amount of water. This will also help your arrangements last longer.”

He also uses natural pods such as dried okra, pine cones, or the bare branches of deciduous holly with only the berries.

Table décor can assume many shapes, from an assortment of taller slim vases to low spreading floral arrangements that wind their way from one end of a dining room table to the other. Selecting a colorful runner can help pull either style together. “When I’m doing a tall centerpiece, I’ll wind colorful ribbon throughout the branches that provide the structure, then I cluster other items together to make it look like they’re growing naturally in place,” he says. “For lower tablescapes, make the center slightly higher, then repeat the composition on a smaller scale as it progresses down the table.” Fruits, like apples, pomegranates, and oranges also add interest and can be interspersed among greenery for a traditional, colonial look. As for this season’s colors, both Erfurdt and Pudwell say that reds and greens are here to stay, although shades may vary.

“I’m seeing shades of green vary from bright Kelly green, olive to deep forest green, and reds can range from bright Chinese red to deeper burgundy,” Erfurdt says. “Much of the colors chosen depends on the home décor.” Erfurdt says that blue and navy are often requested, and people are asking for golds and silvers to be included in their designs. “Take your color cues from the room where it will be displayed,” Pudwell says. “You can either elaborate on the room’s palette or choose complementary colors for your décor.” Another key thing to remember when decorating a dining table is to look up. “Carry the theme of your tablescape up to the light fixture above,” Erfurdt says. “It doesn’t need to be large or overdone, but bringing some of the elements from the table upward to the chandelier is a wonderful way to bring the décor into another dimension. It will give your table a finished look.” She also recommends echoing the elements of the design into handcrafted napkin rings. “Purchase basic napkin rings, then make small boutonniere-type clusters and attach them with ribbon,” she says. “Even a few sprigs of evergreen with a narrow ribbon adds a festive tone to your table.” With the trend toward natural materials and décor from the home landscape, a tablescape can be easily freshened throughout the holiday season as individual elements begin to fade.

“When you look to your own backyard for your holiday décor, you’re bringing part of the outdoors inside and you’re economizing,” Erfurdt says. “And your arrangements will reflect your personal style even more.”

Avid gardener and Atlanta-based journalist/photographer Pamela A. Keene collects unusual Christmas ornaments for her tree. Some of her favorites are replicas of the German-style hand-painted animals like those from her father’s parents.

Sweet Treats

By Colette Boehm | Photography courtesy Alys Beach & Charlie’s Donuts

Charlie’s Donuts, a veteran-owned venture, brings colorful breakfast items to the Florida Panhandle.

Traditions come in many forms. On Florida Scenic Highway 30A, they come in many flavors, too. And with sprinkles. For more than 16 years, a visit to Charlie’s Donut Truck has been a morning tradition for vacationers to Alys Beach in northwest Florida. What many don’t realize is that Charlie’s Donuts is much more than a repurposed Sunbeam Bread truck. It is a growing collection of outlets along 30A and beyond, the realization of the vision of two disabled veterans who met by chance and struck up a conversation about their future.

Sweet Origins Charlie Mingus was born and reared in Enterprise, Alabama. After graduating high school, his army career began with training at Fort Rucker, a nearby training base. “I went to flight school at Fort Rucker and was in the army for 20 years to the day,” Mingus recalls. “I flew the whole time,” he says of his career as a helicopter pilot, which included deployments in Vietnam and Turkey. After leaving the army, Mingus went on to a 15-year career with a government contractor, then retired. He and his wife were building a farmhouse in northwest Florida when he met another army veteran by chance. The result has been sweet.

“This guy showed up delivering lumber,” Mingus says. “I asked him, ‘What are you gonna do the rest of your life?’ He said, ‘I always wanted to own a doughnut store.’” That man was John Smith, who went on to tell Mingus that, while in the U.S. Army, he served in Germany and worked part time at a German bakery. The very next day, Smith brought Mingus a business plan and the two disabled veterans started the business venture that is now in its 16th year.