Deck the Halls – festive ideas for inside and out
Prepare your house and garden for the festive season – from the front door to the fireside. Winter containers, fabulous florals and border stars that sparkle at Christmas.
Bring the outside in
Decorating the house for Christmas is top of the list in December, with all the nostalgic joy of choosing a Christmas tree, hanging ancient baubles and adding that touch of sparkle with strings of twinkling fairy lights.
Foraging for winter berries and evergreens for decorations is a time-honoured tradition that has never gone out of date; the scent of pine and eucalyptus branches adding to the delicious kitchen temptations of cinnamon and gingerbread, rosemary and mint.
Christmas begins with choosing your tree
Simple greenery and accessories in colours to suit your style make a table really special
Sprigs of heather in ribbon-tied glasses adds that touch of green to set the scene
An entrance fit for a king or three
The traditional Christmas home generally begins at the front door; with a wreath and some winter pots for a classic look. If you have trees or shrubs leading to your door, add some LED outdoor fairy lights to create a warm welcome, being mindful of wildlife and your neighbours, and switch them off at night.
A striking combination of topiary, colourful dogwoods, silvery hellebores, dark heuchera and snow white cyclamen create a showstopper entrance
Go for a modern, minimal look with strong white pots filled with just two plants like this Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea', Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera Aurea' and Taxus baccata Aurea Group
Garden centres and nurseries usually sell packs of small shrubs for winter pots, and the added bonus is that when they outgrow the pot they can be
Keeping things cool - white hellebores, pine cones and a beautiful lantern make a fabulous focal point from a window
The holly bears a berry
The traditional colours of Christmas are red and green, whether that be from Christian or Pagan beliefs; the two often intermingling, overlapping and ever-changing as time has passed. The winter solstice has always played a starring role in how our homes are decorated at this time of year, and many of these ideas have not lost their powerful charm.
Traditional holly is the perfect green backdrop for festive reds and golds
Rose hips make a good substitute for holly berries and last well in Christmas decorations
Winter foraging
Other plants which lend themselves well to being transformed into decorations include old man’s beard, with its
Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' in the snow. Pick the flower heads on a dry day and store them until needed
Shiny rose hips can be added to wreaths, table decorations and floral arrangements
Star plants for your Christmas borders
We spend a lot more time inside during the winter, so make the areas you look out on, tidy and bright. Treat yourself to a few winter-interest plants, such as bright-stemmed dogwoods, hellebores and pansies. For strong focal points, evergreens are perfect and give a crisp look: Dwarf pines, hebe and elaeagnus among them.
For added punch think about shrubs for scent, especially if positioned near a door: witch hazel, sarcococca, viburnum, daphne, and winter honeysuckles are all brilliant choices.
Sarcococca confusa is a highly scented evergreen, best positioned near a path or door for maximum enjoyment
Hamamelis mollis ‘Jermyn’s Gold’. Wonderful witch hazels, with their spidery scented flowers, come in a range of jewel colours
Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’, flowering on bare branches, really packs a punch of intoxicating scent that fills the winter air
Fabulous floristry
Often the simplest of floral arrangements are the best, but if you fancy having a go at something bolder, there is a world of inspiration at your fingertips. If you don’t have many flowering plants in your garden just pick a few stems, add branches with berries, or stems with rose hips, and then fill the spaces with greenery. Add some interesting-shaped twigs for added pizzazz.
Fresh greens and whites for that Christmassy feel; hellebores make the perfect centre-piece
Include interesting shapes of twigs and arching stems of flowering shrubs for a focal point display
House plants looking great in December
Whether as gifts or to fill your home with colour, houseplants bring that extra bit of cheer in the winter.
