Christmas on the Patio!
28 November 2019
CREATING A WINTER WONDERLAND
The weather’s turning wintry, and with bright decorations and festive lights shining from every street, you can’t help but feel that Christmas spirit! With the house looking extra-special, don’t leave your garden out in the cold – get decorating and extend the festivities outdoors! The patio doesn’t have to be your fair-weather friend, only used for barbecues and summer parties – it’s easy to create an inviting space for chatting, dining and relaxing when all the family come to stay over the Christmas period.
DecK your deck
Your gorgeous Pavestone patio looks wonderful in any weather, so show it off to best effect with perfect pots and plants in festive colours to add atmosphere. Twinkling fairy lights and bright baubles on potted Christmas trees will create an instant impact as your guests step outside. Add cinnamon sticks tied with raffia, dried orange slices or lightly spray some pinecones with silver and gold paint to add a subtle sheen and wire them on. If you’re feeling really festive, add tinsel wrapped around the pot and a star to top the tree, for extra sparkle! Choose outdoor lights which are battery-powered, for more flexibility, or if you’ve got access to the mains, why not wrap strings of colourful lights around the pergola or along the garden fence to really brighten things up!
Christmas planting is all about festive colours, shapes and textures, and can be as traditional or innovative as you want! Mix shades of red, silver, rich greens and gold for a vibrant look – and the impact needn’t all be from the flowers and foliage. Silver-sprayed twigs make a great backdrop to planters filled with winter pansies, heathers and Christmas roses, or why not add miniature baubles or tiny outdoor lights for a cheerful, twinkly effect that brightens up dark days and evenings.
Lovely leaves
Holly, with its glossy dark-green spiky leaves and blood-red berries, is a festive essential. You could choose a variegated variety, such as Ilex aquifolium ‘Argentea Marginata’ with its creamy-white leaf margins. Or for a more traditional look, stick with ‘Alaska’, which has a more compact, upright shape with glossy, rich green leaves and the brightest berries. Choose larger container-grown plants with a well-rounded shape and plenty of berries to add stand-alone impact, or why not go for ball-shaped standards either side of your patio doors? Smaller plants look great on a low garden wall to add height, or why not mix ‘n’ match in your patio planters with heathers, dwarf conifers and ivies.
Variegated ivies, such as Hedera helix ‘White Wonder’ have bright evergreen foliage with a clear white margin, looking just as if snow has fallen on them. They are incredibly easy to grow and versatile and can be used to add colour to your patio in so many ways. A great Christmas tip is to buy star-shaped topiary frames and carefully wrap the ivy around them, holding in place with florist’s wire. Mix in some miniature battery-powered white fairy lights for a really festive, twinkly look – ideal for living sculptures around the patio or make mini ones as table centres.
Don’t forget our feathered friends in your decorating scheme – hang bird fat balls from branches using bright red ribbons, or make your own and mould them into stars and other festive shapes, to invite wildlife to share in the Christmas feast!
Outdoor accessories
When you’re inviting guests outdoors in the winter, creating an area that’s really warm and inviting is essential. Site your garden sofa or table and chairs in a cosy corner of the patio, out of the way of any draughts which blow through the garden. Bring all the seat cushions out of storage and add plenty of fleecy throws to keep everyone cosy. Add height, light and warmth by putting up the parasol – wind some miniature battery-powered fairy lights around the framework underneath, to brighten up your patio table and make things much more festive!
You don’t have to spend a lot to make a big difference, tealights in jam jars or candles in old-fashioned hurricane lanterns look lovely on the table and dotted around the patio. Why not pop a cinnamon stick, star anise or some dried orange slices near the warmth, to give out amazing aromas, or use Christmassy scented candles to give a little extra light and add a relaxing festive fragrance.
Chimeneas and firepits are essential accessories for amazing alfresco Christmas patio parties. Gazing into the flames, listening to the crackles and pops as the wood burns merrily, and the wonderful smell of woodsmoke are almost as glorious as the warmth given out. Try chopping well-seasoned fruitwood logs down into smaller strips, to get the blaze going brightly and create an amazing aroma from your lovely warm fire. Bring out the marshmallows and skewers for toasting or hang a pot of mulled wine or cider over the firepit, to really bring your patio into the Christmas party spirit.
David Domoney's garden & landscaping blogs, tips & Pavestone related news articles are posted regularly, every few days, in the News & Blogs section of the Pavestone website. Follow David's tips and the hot news from Britain's favourite landscaping brand by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
