Jacque Beatty, owner of Tinker's Dam Florist and Gifts in Slippery Rock, has been filling orders for holiday floral arrangements such as this one that includes several varieties of holly leaves and pine branches.

Jacque Beatty, owner of Tinker's Dam Florist and Gifts in Slippery Rock, was busy Tuesday filling orders for holiday floral arrangements that contained several varieties of holly. She offered some ideas for using holly to decorate.

"It's very jaggy," said Beatty of the toothed holly leaves, which make it difficult to work with. She arranged assorted greens and both green and variegated holly in a vase that was decorated with delicate holly leaves.

"I used Christmas pines, cedar, Douglas fir and white pine," Beatty said.

The arrangement, called Holly Vase, was a variation on one offered this season through online delivery network services. Adding mixed Christmas pine is more economical than using holly exclusively, she said.

A green satin, gold-trimmed bow and gold artificial berries provided the finishing touches.

"The green holly didn't have berries this year," she explained.

Artificial berries in red, green, yellow, white and gold can be found at craft stores.

Another of Beatty's pine-and-holly arrangements featured multicolored twinkle lights, glass ornaments, tiny garland and about $100 worth of lottery tickets.

"They (the clients) supply the tickets," Beatty said.

The greens in that piece included boxwood.

When making arrangements of holly and pine, Beatty recommended cutting the bottom of the stem and adding a floral solution to the water.

She suggests using water tubes when adding holly to fresh garlands and wreaths.

"The best way to do it is to put the sprigs in water tubes and change the water every couple of days," she said.

Though most people are ordering assembled arrangements right now, Beatty said the last couple of days before Christmas people will want live holly for decorating. She said holly will last about a week to 10 days after it is cut.