Mark's Living Holiday Décor

It’s time to start decorating for the holidays (if you haven’t already started, that is!). Every year, we climb into the attic and grab all same Christmas decorations we’ve used since the late 90′s. It’s definitely time to mix it up! Breathe life into your home with some living holiday décor. In this 3-part series, Mark shows you how to create festive accents using Mother Nature as inspiration. Pull out your green thumb and have your Santa hats at the ready… it’s Décor-ating time!

Idea #1: Holiday Planters

Potted plants instantly add life to any space any time of the year. Try using holiday plants in the place of cut foliage this year. Plants are easily moved around your space as you prepare for different holiday functions and can be “recharged” outside when need be. There are many suitable plants to choose from that you might not associate with the holidays. Try potted evergreens, boxwood and fir trees. Even herb topiaries are great and can do double duty in the kitchen for use in holiday recipes.

Idea #2: Winter Bulbs

A bright floral display and fragrant aroma is always welcome in winter, but cut flowers fade all too quickly most of the time. Forcing flowering bulbs in winter keeps the blooms around much longer than cut florals.

Hyacinths, crocus, and narcissus bulbs can be forced in special glass vases with water. They can also be grown in shallow dishes of water filled with pebbles. Bulbs should be secured in the pebbles deeply enough so that its base is in contact with the water. Keep them in a cool, dark room for several weeks to ensure root growth. After roots have grown, place in a sunny location. Each bulb will send up several flower stems bearing many tiny blossoms. Once the flowers begin to open, take the plants out of direct sunlight to prolong the bloom.

Note: Unlike the bulbs planted in the ground, these plants are not able to regenerate and should be discarded.

Idea #3: Winter Wreaths