Shop Your Garden for Easy Holiday Decorations
8. Save that firewood. Why toss those trimmed tree limbs on the street or in the fire when you can make natural wood coasters like these? Cut and stain them for the perfect complement to rustic holiday decor that will stay in season throughout the year. If you’re handy with a jigsaw or router, other great uses for hardwood logs include hollowed-out flowerpots, serving utensils, ornaments and candleholders. Just be sure that you know what wood you’re using and research the tree to make sure that it is safe to use.
7. Invite plants to the table. Don’t push houseplants out of the way for gatherings when you can put them to good use as centerpieces. This Angelina Sedum (Sedum ‘Angelina’, zones 7 to 11) is ideal for tabletops with its low-spreading growth habit and durability, not to mention the fact that its tightly packed succulent leaves resemble the needles of evergreen conifers. Other great houseplants for the winter tabletop include ferns, orchids, bromeliads, Tillandsia and the red- and green-patterned nerve plant (Fittonia argyroneura).
6. Have a very berry Christmas. If you’re lucky enough to have berry-laden branches of hollies (Ilex spp), then you probably already know about their seasonal decorating potential. However, don’t stop with those. If you happen to have beautyberry (Callicarpa americana, zones 6 to 10), firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea, zones 6 to 9) or bordergrass (Liriope spicata, zones 4 to 10) in the garden, be sure to trim some for wreaths, vases and tablescapes.Gardeners in warm climates have even more “berries” to choose from, from small fruited citrus varieties like kumquats (Fortunella crassifolia, zones 8b to 11) and calamondins (X Citrofortunella mitis, zones 8b to 11) to the berry-like fruits of Christmas palm (Adonida merrillii, zones 10 to 11).6 Branches and Berries to Spruce Up Holiday Decor
5. Dress up a potted plant. Evergreen plants are a valuable addition to the winter landscape and home, but let’s face it, sometimes they can be a bit boring. Landscape designer Karen Chapman solves this problem by artfully including a silk magnolia flower (the real ones don’t last long) and branches.You can give a potted houseplant a winter makeover too, just as long as you don’t overdo it to the point where the decorations block too much sunlight or damage the plant. For example, the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is gaining popularity as a living Christmas tree, but its limber branches are ill equipped to support heavy ornaments. You can hang ornaments on florist’s wire or metal flower supports slipped through the foliage and into the soil.
4. Just add paint. I happen to think that branches are interesting enough without a fresh coat of paint, but there’s no denying that a little bit of white spray paint or acrylic craft paint can really elevate a dead branch into a work of art. It can turn all of the browns and grays into a delicate study in negative space reminiscent of a wintry scene.Don’t stop at branches, though. Anything from seedpods to pinecones and stones can be painted a single color and grouped on a tabletop or glued to a wreath. However varied the subjects, a single color of paint will unify them all and call attention to their unique forms.
3. Hang some mistletoe. Victorian kissing balls made with mistletoe and holly are, to some, the quintessential traditional holiday decoration. There’s no sense in changing a good thing, but the toxicity and short shelf life of clipped mistletoe can be enough to make you look for an alternative, such as this living mistletoe cactus kissing ball that I constructed using a grapevine ball, sphagnum moss and cuttings of mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis sp, zones 10 to 11). The appeal of this arrangement is that it is long lasting and low maintenance once established, needing just the occasional spritz of water to keep it healthy. If you can’t find Rhipsalis, you can get the same look with succulent cuttings, such as those of Echeveria (Echeveria spp, zones 9 to 11) and sedum (Sedum spp).
2. Keep it simple. Even if lavishly designed arrangements of evergreens are beyond your skill set and time frame, it doesn’t take much to give a boring tabletop or mantel some natural flair. Pinecones are probably the most conveniently available decorations that nature has to offer, and they can be loosely arranged in baskets or glass hurricane lanterns or on trays.For an edible centerpiece, display an arrangement of pecans, walnuts, chestnuts and hazelnuts along with a nutcracker and plates to keep guests busy until the appetizers are served. For a more exotic theme, make a fragrant arrangement of woody spices like star anise, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, cassia and cinnamon, placed in a glass vase or a deep bowl to discourage guests from messing with the potent arrangement.
1. Create a welcoming entry. Even if the weather outside is frightful, place arrangements of delightful evergreens, branches and berries on your doorstep to entice visitors to come in for a spell. Take to the garden with a pair of bypass pruners and fill a basket with a few of your favorite things, then arrange them in flowerpots or make them into swags and grapevine wreaths. Don’t leave out living plants either, especially if you live in the warmer regions of the South or the Pacific Coast. Those of you in zones 7 or 8 to 11 can choose from an assortment of cool-season annuals, like the honey-scented sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) and cold-tolerant Johnny jump ups (Viola tricolor), or even edibles like architectural collard greens (Brassica oleracea) and fragrant rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis).10 Easy Decorating Ideas for a Festive Entryway...
9. Brighten up windows. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to let your window boxes and other flowerpots go to waste — especially if they occupy a prominent location such as a doorway or window. Just think of those containers as a prime opportunity to put all of your hedge trimmings to use! Whether you create a serene framework of winter branches like in the photo here, opt for a brighter combination of evergreens like pines and hollies, or even plant those containers with living evergreens, anything is better than nothing.More: Budget Decorator: 15 Shortcuts to Holiday Style
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