The spring and summer months of 2020 brought us out into our landscapes in record numbers. Gardening gave us a healthy escape during the pandemic, providing an opportunity to connect to something positive and fulfilling. As the warmer months fade into fall and winter, the connection to plants and outdoor spaces doesn’t have to end, no matter where you live. Decorating with live plants can create a whole new sense of style to enjoy in the winter season. Often used as indoor holiday décor, evergreens are also a beautiful addition to your outdoor space in the winter. Choosing the right varieties can take your winter landscapes and containers to a whole new level. We asked three designers to share some tips on using plants for both inside and outside décor.
Evergreens are everyone’s go-to for classic holiday decor. From stunning indoor displays that include full plants or cuttings, to creative outdoor containers, traditional holiday varieties such as Spruce and Holly are timeless. “Evergreens are the epitome of holiday design,” says Rochelle Greayer, landscape designer and founder of PITH + VIGOR’s Garden & Planting Design Boot Camps. “I love their traditional look. My favorite is to dress up evergreen swags with of lots of foraged bits from the garden. Things like grasses, seed heads, dried flowers and berries.” According to Greayer, evergreens add an essential element to both winter landscapes and containers. “Many garden spaces go completely flat when everything dies back in winter. Evergreens add shape and topography. They are a great way to keep things interesting at that time of year.”
At Pine House Garden in California, designers use evergreens as a backdrop for fall and winter décor. “We make simple, elegant wreaths for our clients in the fall before the holidays,” says Lonna Lopez, Designer and Florist at Pine House. “We use a brass ring as the base, then add a few evergreen sprigs that have some movement to them. To make them feel unique and special, we forage for the evergreen plant material from each of the clients’ garden to create the wreaths.”
Pine House designers love the touch evergreens add to indoor style as well. “If we’re decorating inside, we like to add evergreen sprigs to the table-scape or situated on surfaces with candles or other holiday objects,” adds Lopez. “If your style is more traditional, then use more traditional “holiday” material, like Pine, Cedar, or Spruce boughs and add some red accents. If your style is more modern, use unexpected material like Agonis ‘After Dark’, Blue Atlas Cedar or a fun Nandina. Keeping the color palette more subdued and relying on textures is also a great way to get a modern feel.”
Holiday containers are the perfect way to add beauty to the outdoor garden. “I love focusing on the front entrance of the house for the holidays to welcome all of my family and friends inside,” says Fawn Wilson, owner and exterior landscape designer at Fawn Renae Designs in North Carolina. “My all-time favorite is an evergreen shrub in a large outdoor planter surrounded by ivy and pansies for color. It’s like having a Christmas tree with colorful presents underneath.” Plant material can also add natural style to indoor packages. “Creating little bundles of sprigs to put alongside a gift tag instead of a bow is unique and fun,” adds Wilson.
About Monrovia
Inspired by the beauty of plants, gardens, and landscapes everywhere, Harry E. Rosedale founded Monrovia in 1926 to be a premier grower of shrubs and trees. Monrovia collaborates with plant breeders around the world to introduce improved plant varieties to North America. Monrovia plants flourish once planted to beautify gardens and landscapes. Please visit www.monrovia.com.
