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Here at AUTHOR, we love to decorate with greenery and bring the outdoors in all year round. Christmas time is an extra special time to do so, especially when you will be entertaining throughout the festive season. Whether it’s the finishing touches to your dining table or a beautiful wreath for your door, we have all the top tips for decorating your home with Christmas flowers and foliage thanks to our wonderful local florist at The Flower Pavilion, Linda Cooper, an award-winning SAFAS designer and arranger of flowers.
Making Christmas Foliage Last
The key to making your Christmas foliage last, according to Linda, is to use long lasting evergreens such as Scots Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Yew and Cypress. If the leaf surface of your foliage is waxy or glossy then it is going to be enduring greenery that will see you right through the month of December. Build up these various sprigs of evergreen to give you layers of texture. Make sure you keep your evergreens away from any heat source and change the water every two days. Use food sachets if you are given them by your florist.
Nearer the week of Christmas, add in your fresh flowers as the finishing layer. Recut the stems of the fresh flowers every two days to ensure they stay fresh. Make sure to cut off any discoloured or soft areas as well. “If you have any thick and woody stems then slit them vertically up the middle of the stem,” says Linda, to help it absorb water better.
Small pockets of Christmas posies
Small posies around the house are an easy fix to make corners look more festive. Linda suggests bringing the outdoors in with using sprigs and stems from your own garden. If you don’t have variety of choice from your garden then it is always good to see what is available at your local florist. Ranunculus can be long lasting, see if your florist can provide them in colours of festive reds and burgundies. Branches of beautiful evergreen can work on their own in vases on side tables but we recommend branches with berries of rowan or holly to give you a touch of Christmassy red. If you want a more muted colour than go for branches of ivy berries or juniper.
Also think about the scent of your small posies. Eucalyptus is excellent for this as is Pine and Cypresses. A few sprigs can go a long way to create a wonderful, fresh scent. Use some dried Asparagus Fern in metallic colours of golds, silvers and coppers through your greens for a festive touch.
Dried Flowers
Dried flowers have traditionally been associated with long forgotten shelves and dusty corners. Thankfully now they are being embraced by floral professionals and as a result we see dried flowers being used everywhere in stylish, contemporary arrangements. It is always worth popping along to your local florist to see what dried flowers they have on offer. Linda recommends dried hydrangea for gorgeous muted colour tones and pampas grass for texture, especially on mantlepiece displays.
Garlands and wreaths
If you’re looking for a wreath that is a bit different this year, Linda advises contorting willow into a gorgeous wreath shape. You can add some lights to it, pine cones or even small stars made from contorted willow too. This type of wreath wouldn’t need constant watering and will last long into the New Year.
For weaving garlands on shelves and staircases, Linda recommends eucalyptus as ivy can dry too quickly. For a modern update on a traditional bannister garland, why not try hanging thin, long bunches of suspended florals vertically in between the spindles of your staircase? You can create these beautiful small mini garlands using what you can find in your garden.
Christmas Table Decoration
Using sprigs of eucalyptus or ivy (foraged that morning) along your dining table always looks beautiful and requires minimal effort. Weave these stems between candles that sit at various heights for instant impact. Linda also recommends small silver crest pine trees, dressed up in pots wrapped with hessian for table decoration. “Have them marching down the middle of your table,” advises Linda, again a good impact for minimal effort.
Small posies or sprigs tucked into napkins on plates are always a nice touch. You can use whatever you can forage from your garden or even use herbs for an added scent. Use twine to attach a hand written name card to the sprigs if you have a planned table setting. Linda recommends doing the same for name tags on presents. You can tuck sprigs into the ribbon or even attach contorted willow stars with twine to give your gifts an elegant touch.
Still looking for tips to help style your home? The AUTHOR team is here to advise on any aspects of design, furnishing and decor. If you would like any further floral advice or interior design tips on how to make the most of your interior space, please do get in touch.
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