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| Photo Credit: Veronica Lorson Fowler |
| Different types of greenery, as well as a few accents, give your holiday arrangement lots of interest. |
Rules are made to be broken, right? So “floral” arrangements don’t have to be just flowers, and holiday greenery doesn’t always have to be hung up or spread out on a mantel. In fact, a holiday arrangement of greenery in a vase is not only wonderfully striking, it’s easy, fast, elegant and inexpensive! While it looks best with at least two or three different types of greenery, it’s also gorgeous with just one type of evergreen.
I love displaying a huge vase of greens on my back porch’s table each holiday season. (Otherwise during the winter months, it looks awfully bare back there.) That bit of life and color greets me whenever I return home, and the colorful surprise warmly welcomes our “back door” friends who are comfortable enough coming in through the back of the house. And the bonus for this arrangement: The screened porch’s cold weather and moist air keep the display looking fresh until spring! | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Veronica Lorson Fowler | | Berries or crabapples make for a bright splash of color, but they’ll last longer if kept in a cool spot. |
If you have the luxury of choosing from a variety of greenery in your garden, go for contrasts of shiny (such as holly or rhododendrons) with flat (like spruce or pine). Mix in dark greens (like yew) with light (such as golden arborvitae).Variegated evergreens are especially attractive in this arrangement, too.
A simple vase of just evergreens is nice enough, but the greenery really pops if you add some accents that contrast in shape and color. So look around your garden for some leftover rose hips, branches with nice lines, crabapples, berries and dried seed heads (think purple coneflowers, hydrangeas and sedums). Even ornamental grasses are excellent for mixing in.
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| Tips |
- When cutting evergreens in your yard, remember that each cut you make is a pruning cut. Trim carefully so you direct growth in a healthy way when the plant starts growing again in spring.
- Cut greens make pretty outdoor decorations, too. Consider filling a tin or other rustic and weatherproof bucket, pot or planter with boughs of greenery. If kept outdoors when temperatures are below freezing, there’s no need to add water. The greens will stay fresh without it.
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| Faqs |
- Q: How large should these arrangements be?
A: It’s entirely up to you. But if you’ve got large material, just make sure you’ve got a large vase with a wide base to hold it all steady. While big arrangements make a dramatic statement for entryways or large tables, smaller versions have a lot of impact, too. So consider tiny arrangements in bud vases to set on a bathroom sink or nightstand as well. - Q: Can I mix in silk greenery?
A: Sure! A little cheating’s allowed in this project. Not only can artificial greens add new textures to your arrangement, the real greenery will make the silk stuff look more real. (And you’ll be able to reuse some of the materials next year.)
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