David Domoney: What plants give your home and garden a festive feel at Christmas
14 December 2023
Festive plants
In December, spending time in the garden might appear more challenging due to dropping temperatures and the dormancy of much of the vegetation. Nevertheless, there are numerous ways to indulge your passion for gardening, excercise those green fingers and make plants your central focus for this Christmas, both indoors and outdoors.
Christmas houseplants
The most obvious Christmas ‘houseplant’ on many people’s minds in December is the magnificent Christmas tree. Whether you choose an artificial tree, a living tree, or even a pot-grown tree, decorating these wonderful plants is one of the hallmarks of the festive season. However, there are plenty of other festive houseplants that you can maintain to brighten up the rest of your home.
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) has a clue in the name for when it flowers. Naturally, this plant’s flowers emerge in bright shades of red, white, purple, pink, or yellow, in December each year, given the right treatment. To encourage flowering, the Schlumerbera requires periods of rest. Do this by placing this succulent in a cool room that is approximately 12 degrees Celsius. This cooler temperature boosts flower bud production.
Another classic Christmas houseplant is the Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). Their affiliation with Christmas started in native Mexico, where the plants are called Flor de la nochebuena, meaning ‘Flower of Christmas Eve’. This is thanks to its star-like appearance.
The ‘flowers’ themselves are bracts, modified leaves with the appearance of colourful petals, the colours there to attract pollinators to the tiny flowers, which are ball-like structures in the centre. To encourage these bracts to show red in December, you can force the colour by controlling its access to sunlight from the end of September onwards, by ensuring they are in a dark space for 12-14 hours a day.
Another colourful houseplant that you can enjoy in December, is the Cyclamen. Available in a large variety of colours, these lovely flowers can add a boost of colour to your indoor containers this festive season. For a red variety, consider growing Cyclamen persicum ‘Verano Red’ (Persian cyclamen), or to manifest a snowy atmosphere, grow Cyclamen persicum ‘Blanc Pur’.
Festive Garden planting
During the colder months, when venturing into the garden becomes less inviting due to dropping temperatures, there remains a wealth of plant options perfectly suited for beds and containers. Although the outdoor chill may discourage prolonged garden activities, strategically selecting and arranging plants can ensure a delightful and visually pleasing spectacle visible from the comfort and cozy warmth of your home. Whether it's vibrant winter blooms, evergreen foliage, or carefully chosen ornamental grasses, these selections can transform your outdoor areas into a picturesque tableau that can be enjoyed without braving the brisk weather.
Helping support wildlife
For bedding plants that will provide an attractive sight this month, consider planting holly shrubs for the middle or back of your borders. Not only do they have a strong festive history, and uses for creating decorations for your home, but they also help to support wildlife through winter, providing food and habitats for birds and small mammals.
Perfect for pots and raised beds
Raised beds are another area worth a refresh in December and there are a couple of plants worth establishing for some added colour. Hellebores in particular are a great option, and a particularly festive choice would be Helleborus niger (Christmas rose), a bright perennial with white or slightly pink flowers up to 8 cm in width, so create a lovely eye-catching feature in raised beds.
Walling
For a well-established raised bed design, consider building one using Pavestone’s Cottage Walling, made using natural stone walling blocks. The bricks’ rounded edges make it more comfortable to work in your raised border and soften the appearance of your raised bed, allowing your planting to stand out. Plus, the natural stone adds a wonderful timeless feel, making it seem like this is a long-established part of your garden.
Driveways for a warm winter welcome
You may not be spending much time in the garden this year, but as you go back and forth from your home to family gatherings, Christmas celebrations (and of course, your Christmas gift shopping), make sure your driveway is somewhere you can take pride in coming home to and lighting up with your light and bright decorations this year. Pavestone’s Old York & Cotswold Block paving is a classic choice that will last a lifetime.
Be eco-friendly this Christmas
Many households will have their Christmas trees indoors this year, but you may want to keep a pot-grown tree outdoors to decorate too. A few lights and baubles can create a lovely festive feature to add to your home’s lighting display this season, perfect for sitting by your front door to welcome you home. Make sure to position it somewhere it will get a couple of hours of sunlight each day, and check that the soil doesn’t dry out.
After Christmas, you can either keep it in its container, remembering to repot it into a larger pot next year, or plant it out in the garden to enjoy for years to come.
Make the most of your outdoor space this December, whether you decide to brave the weather or just enjoy it in passing, or from your window with a cosy cup of hot chocolate and a lovely indoor Poinsettia.
We have hundreds of stunning videos, depicting beautifully landscaped gardens, which have used Pavestone landscaping and building materials to realise our homeowners 'dream gardens'. This Christmas holiday period, set yourself some time to explore our videos.
Maybe make some plans for a garden makeover this Spring?
David Domoney, TV gardener, horticultural expert ,and Pavestone brand ambassador blogs monthly on the Pavestone website on all things landscaping related. We look forward to seeing you back again next month.
