Quick & Easy Outdoor Arrangements
A few years ago when our home was on a tour of homes, my plan was to get gorgeous new containers for the outside of our home. I wanted to place them throughout the garden, in the breezeway, and on the porches.
I was going to use fresh oasis soaked in water to keep these fresh greens looking good for several weeks before and after Christmas.
As you might guess this was a VERY busy time for us and my time just ran out. I began to think about what I could do that would take far less time, yet still be beautiful for our Holiday Open House. I could have lots of fresh greens outside with striking red velvet bows made with flowing, long red streamers.
So, I began my task of going through my yard, several neighbors’ yards, and going to friends’ houses to collect each freshly growing thing I thought would give our home the look I desired.
First, I’ll tell you which greens and other evergreens I looked for to enhance my “outdoor” Christmas arrangements: Large, pretty green magnolia leaves are always a must. Next came cedar, white pine, scotch pine, and hemlock for the lighter color in my greens. Nandina berries and holly berries really made these arrangemente “pop” with the bright red of Christmas along with my large red velvet bows!
Out of desperation and laci of time, I noticed that there were many containers sitting around my garden and porches with weeping flowers which had died back for the winter. Some of these would come back, and some would not. So, why even bother to pull them out, I though… I’ll just use the dirt which is already in my pots and stick my greens in throughout. That way, I could keep my pots watered making my greens last much longer than usual! Great Plan! It worked wonderfully, and my pots were beautiful until way after Chritmas.
The photo on the right was taken in my Pergola. It had just been built so was really wide open then. (Now it is covered with Wisteria as well as Lady Banks Rose Bushes giving it a full, covered top.) I used old, colorful sap buckets keeping the same dirt in them, using ivy that was still living, and added more of my mixture of Christmas greens and red berries. A huge old wall basket hung on the back wall with another large red velvet bow with the same greens flowing out.
These looked so beautiful because the long pieces of hemlock really draped out giving them a full, woodsy look as I went around doing this through my garden.
These large clay pots were already in my pergola – one filled with a large nandina bush, and the other filled with pansies, and other greens. I added the flowing branches of hemlock to both as well as my red berry clusters.
I was REALLY liking the way these were turning ou!
I still had lots more to do as I worked my way over to the steps going up to our long back porch. The thick garland was purchased at Hobby Lobby at half price and wrapped around the railings. But, I still needed to add the fresh nandina berry clusters to make it look alive as the rest of my yard was looking. Yep… I added more of the red velvet bows, and this time with very long streamers.
Lastly, I worked my way over to the porch, filling up each container I could find with my “wild” greens, berries and red velvet bows. I was very happy with the way it was all turning out – so inviting – so fresh – so Christmas-y.
I thought you might enjoy hearing and seeing how I decorated our garden and outside at Christmas with practically no cost at all. And the red velvet bows with a 50 yard roll of ribbon was less than $10.00. Let me know what you think of these ideas and how you might incorporate them into your outside Christmas decor…
