Fresh greenery can make all the difference when decorating for the holidays. Adding a little or a lot of winter florals and plantings bring smell, texture, and a festive ambiance to spaces. Caroline Ervin, president of Caroline Ervin Landscape Design, www.carolineervinlandscapedesign.com, and owner of The Georgetown Garden Shop, www.georgetowngardenshop.com, shares some tips for holiday decorating both inside and outside the home.
- What are your go-to holiday flowers and plants?
Bringing fresh greens into the home at the holidays adds a special natural touch to holiday decor. The large, dark shiny green leaves of Southern magnolia mixed with boxwood clippings provide a variety of texture. Then, add a pop of red, or even orange, winterberry stems for color – all in a red and white cachepot and it’s a gorgeous long-lasting holiday arrangement. If the faded hydrangea blossoms are still in the garden, then I like to cut and add those for added interest. Give them a light mist of hair spray for added hold.
During the holidays, I often have friends or family pop over for a little spontaneous holiday cheer, leaving no time to create a fresh floral arrangement. Each year, I take a favorite bowl, and a few small cachepots, too, and simply add paperwhites or amaryllis bulbs, or even a grouping of white orchids. It’s a perfect holiday arrangement – ready to go at a moment’s notice. Just remember to start forcing paperwhites and amaryllis bulbs in early November to have blooms at Christmastime.
- Which flowers and greenery are best for outside containers and garland?
Holiday outdoor containers can be so festive and fun to create. I like to forage from the garden. I often start by creating a base of magnolia stems, boxwood clippings, and add some pine tips and a few sprigs of Carolina sapphire cedar for a soft blue contrast. Then I add both river birch and winterberry stems for height. Tuck in pinecones or lotus pods to fill any gaps. You can lightly dip them in glue and sprinkle with glitter for a little extra pop.
- For inside, what greenery holds up the best on banisters and mantels?
Outdoor holiday decorating typically begins in November and all the fresh pine tips and pinecones create beautiful and natural outdoor containers that will last through the holiday season; however, a pine garland on a mantel or staircase will start to dry when inside for too long. No one wants to redecorate their mantel before Christmas even arrives. I love to use magnolia stems on the mantel over my fireplace. Yes, they begin to dry within a couple of weeks inside in the heat, but they soften to a sage green and still look nice as Christmas nears. I’ll tuck in some glittery gold accents like cones or lotus pots, as well as add a few low taper candles for really pretty and natural mantel decor.
- What are your favorite go-to holiday gifts?
For hostess gifts, I love to take something consumable, that is, a gift to be enjoyed but that doesn’t need to be cared for past the holiday season. One of my favorites to give are waxed amaryllis bulbs. It’s amazing how these plants can survive – and bloom – with their roots encased in wax, but these are the easiest holiday flowers to have at home. Once in temperatures above 65 degrees, it takes the bulbs about six to eight weeks to bloom, and frequently they will bloom a second or even third time. When the blooms are finished, the wax can be removed and the bulb composted. Even someone without a green thumb can handle a waxed amaryllis.
