HOLIDAY SAMPLER : The crisp feel of starched, white linens, the sound of voices exclaiming over holiday decorations, the sight of a package cleverly wrapped--these are some of the sensory joys of this time of year. : Fruit and Center

Fresh fruits and vegetables can become the focal point in table centerpieces, door and mantle decor. Here are some tips from Jan Wilson, co-owner with her husband, Vern, of Matthew-Taylor’s Flowers and Gifts in Tustin:

- Buy the freshest fruits and vegetables you can find. The less bruisable, the better. Obviously, bananas are out.

- Check your yard and surrounding areas for what Wilson calls “roadside-ia,” such as the berries from a Brazilian pepper tree, pyracantha bush or cotoneaster shrub, garden roses, pine and juniper branches.

- Use the natural colors of fruits and vegetables to bring out colors in your room. Green grapes are a better choice than red for a peach dining room; eggplant brings out the rich aubergine in burgundy tones.

- Think small. Miniature artichokes make the scale of a table arrangement work better than the regular size would.

- Have florist clay, foam, picks and wire mesh on hand for use in creating arrangements.

In a recent demonstration, Wilson and her associate, Shae Gazzaniga, made a fruit and floral arrangement using a candlestick as a base. They painted an old plastic bowl with spray paint to match the gold tone of the candlestick. The bowl was attached, right side up, to the candlestick base using floral clay. The bowl was filled with a block of floral foam, also secured with clay. A square of wire mesh was used to cover the top and tucked along the sides of the foam block to give added support.

An arrangement of apples, yellow roses and pine branches was then inserted into the foam base. Floral picks in the bottoms of the apples helped elevate and secure them. The final touch was a ribbon, added to complete what Wilson called a “Ralph Lauren English look.”

Fresh fruit arrangements last anywhere from a few days to about a week. And you can decorate with fruit at anytime of the year.

Oranges make such a strong color statement that Wilson said she uses them more in spring arrangements. For the winter holidays, take a cue from the Victorians and arrange cloves in tight patterns on oranges and attach them to a fresh green wreath.

Fruit can also be tucked into garlands using wire or a hot glue gun, she said.

Wilson likes to suspend summer squash, small saucer-shaped ones with ruffled edges, on wires from arrangements so they hang down like tassels. That kind of creativity combined with fresh fruit and vegetables can create floral arrangements that are anything but stale.