Landscaping
Holiday Decorating for your Landscape
The holiday season is upon us, and many people enjoy celebrating by decorating their homes. But holiday decorating does not need to be relegated to lights on your home – we suggest that you try involving your entire landscape!
Start by adding beautiful plants to your yard that naturally grow in holiday colors. These plants grow well in our climate and will help foster a cozy, festive feeling.
Poinsettia: These traditional florals are native to Mexico and have become a universal symbol of the holiday season in Central and North America. Potted poinsettias will thrive through the season when kept in a humid location with bright, indirect sunlight. They’d brighten up a porch or ordinarily forgettable corner. Plant them around trees or shrubs for a wreath-like appearance. Fun fact–the red portions that appear to be the petals are actually modified leaves, called bracts. The true flowers are tiny and yellow, located at the center of the red bracts.
Christmas cactus: A pet-safe alternative to poinsettia, Christmas cactuses also bloom during the shortest days of the year. The bright pink blooms of this succulent are absolutely gorgeous, and the plant itself is so easy to grow. Simply place in an area that receives bright indirect light, and allow the soil is dried out before waterings. Make sure it receives little direct light–as with many similar plants, its leaves can quickly burn with too much brightness.
Holly: Another classic winter plant, holly berries are featured in many decorations. The leaves represent eternal life, since they are evergreen, while the red berries are known to symbolize fertility and the promise of spring.
Mistletoe: This plant is an epiphyte–a type of parasite that grows on the bark of a host tree and takes some of its water and nutrients. Here in South Florida, you’ll find it growing on laurel oaks, wild cherry trees, and elms. Despite this negative relationship, it’s been used to decorate homes and thresholds for hundreds of years to bring protection and luck.
Create Holiday Decorating Landscape Elements
Wreaths: Hang (or make) wreaths around your house and yard. They’re a classic ornamentation that you can’t go wrong with, and they make for a fun winter craft to do with the whole family. Most craft or home improvement stores sell wreath frames–from there, it’s up to you and your imagination to create beautiful decorations! Go traditional with evergreen branches and bows, or put a South Florida beachy twist on your wreath by weaving it from palm fronds and adorning with seashells. Hang them from fence posts, on trees, or on your house itself.
Garlands: Make garlands of our Florida oranges for local holiday decorating. This practice dates back many centuries, yet still brightens homes during the winter now. Slice and dry a couple oranges and lemons, then hang them on twine along with branches of evergreen, ribbons, and cinnamon sticks. Not only do garlands such as this look festive, but they also smell delightful!
Lights: Lights brighten up the winter nights. String them through your trees and bushes, use them to line pathways, or even use them to decorate an outdoor patio or fireplace. They’re a lovely way to adorn your landscape year-round if you choose to go all white, but you can make it particularly festive with lights in blue and white, or red and green. LED light bulbs make it more efficient both energy-wise and for your wallet to light your yard.
The team at Big Earth Landscape Supply is ready to help your holiday decorating – and landscaping year round.
