By Jack Holmes, Owner of Petals by Irene in St. Louis, MO, and florist on the flower delivery site BloomNation
This holiday season, there are many ways you can decorate the interior and exterior of your home. After being in the floral business for almost 30 years, we have a tip or two to share to make your home shine throughout the neighborhood.
c/o Petals by Irene
For the Outdoors:
Starting with the exterior of your home, we suggest using packaged winter greenery to decorate your mailbox, lightpost, window boxes, porch railings, etc. Once your greenery is in place, accent it with lights and bows for a polished and completed look.
Did you know that most packaged greenery is stored in coolers for months before it is sold and used?
This causes it to shed its needles and dry up very quickly while in indoor temperatures. We say: avoid the mess. Fresh holiday greenery should stay outside where it belongs, with one exception--your Christmas tree!
For the Home:
We recommend using faux greenery. You might think that sounds like we've had too much eggnog, but these days you simply can't tell the difference. The higher the quality, the longer it will last (for years!), and the better it will look. Your local florist or wholesaler will have a plethora of faux wreaths and garland to make your home the envy of the neighborhood. But don't stop there. Dress them up with bows, pine cones, and faux red berries for an extra festive look.
For the Tree:
Now the big question--should the tree be artificial or real? Always get a real Christmas tree over an artificial one, if for nothing else than that wonderful evergreen scent. If you love the evergreen scent as much as we do, then we suggest lighting scented candles throughout your home as well. There's nothing quite like the glow of candles to round out your holiday decor and give your home that warm holiday ambiance. Don't forget to water your tree every day, and feed it with flower food (yes, flower food). This will help keep the needles from falling out prematurely, and it really does work.
After you've adorned your tree with ornaments and strung it with lights, it's time to place poinsettias around your home. Make sure they're placed in a basket or container--a bow is an added bonus. Make sure all of the bows match to keep a cohesive look.
For the Dinner Table:
If you're thinking of going the DIY route for the holiday dinner table, take 3-7 vases or containers of various shapes and sizes (things look better in odd numbers), and spread them down the table in a line. This creates a custom look that is easy to achieve. Fill the vases or containers with flowers of your liking, and accent them with greenery, such as lemon leaf. To keep your flowers fresh, remember to change the water every third day and recut the stems on the diagonal. Make sure to feed the flowers, too.
We think that keeping it simple is always the best approach. Doing something as easy as filling a crystal bowl with red and green ornaments, pine cones, or even apples looks visually stunning and adds to your home décor.
c/o Petals by Irene
Keep It simple, Santa!