Decorating with plants to achieve the ultimate festive look
Although it’s the merriest time of year for us, Christmas is undoubtedly the worst time of year for the environment, with consumers throwing away approximately £42 million of unwanted Christmas presents annually. Not only do decorations revolve around fleeting trends that don’t last beyond a couple of years, but they’re also often made from unrecyclable materials. So if you’d like the festive period to be a little lighter on the planet, opt for a more natural theme this year that focuses on reusing old decorations, DIY, and houseplants galore!
The Christmas tree is one of the key features of a festive home, so why stop there? Why not deck the halls with even more plants, like English ivy, Christmas cacti, and, of course, wreaths? Humans have been decorating their homes with houseplants for centuries, so there's no need to worry about your green companions going out of style.
Easy ideas for decorating with plants this Christmas
To give you a helping hand and get your creativity flowing, we’ve put together some simple ideas you can recreate this Christmas.
Potted Christmas trees
You just can’t beat real Christmas trees: they look much better than fake ones and are better for the environment. But if you haven’t got the room for a full-sized tree or need a quick fix for making a room more festive–mini trees are perfect. For example, the Blue Spruce (here’s a guide for how to look after it) is a cute potted tree that will stay fresh throughout Christmas and can be planted outside for the following year. The Norfolk Island Pine is another potted tree that you can use year after year.
Houseplants = mini Christmas trees
Small decorations like light baubles or thin tinsel work great on houseplants and are an easy way to transform your home into Santa’s grotto. Bigger, sturdier indoor plants like the areca palm and peace lily will be able to deal with light decorations better than smaller plants. Just make sure to be gentle to avoid damaging the leaves!
Add colour to your home
‘Tis the season to embrace colour and vibrance, and what better way to do that than with flowering plants? Plants make the perfect substitute for cut flowers as they’re roughly the same price as a bouquet (sometimes cheaper) and last much longer. Here are some of our top picks:
Flamingo flowers are bold, gorgeous plants with vibrant flowers that come in various colours–but red and white would be ideal for Christmas.
The red Chinese evergreen isn’t known for its flowers, but it does have eye-catching foliage with splashes of red, green and cream.
If you’d like a plant that will bloom on Christmas without fail, the Christmas cactus is your best bet. This festive favourite flowers from November to January and comes in white or pink.
Drape hanging plants everywhere
Hanging plants can add much-needed cosiness to a room and make your home look like a lush, wintery woodland. They also work wonders in smaller spaces, as you can hang them from a ceiling hook or put them on top of tall furniture so they don’t take up floor space. If you’d like some low-maintenance hanging plants for the festive period, we’d recommend English ivy, heart-leaf philodendron, or mistletoe cactus.
Wreaths & plants as table decor
The dinner table is the heart of the home, so it deserves plenty of love when decorating for special occasions. Wreaths are essential and make great additions to the table. If you’re after a classic festive theme, pine works well, or if you’d like something more alternative, eucalyptus (with blue spruce and moss) will do the trick. Finally, add cute, compact plants like the raindrop peperomia to fill up those empty spots on the table.
Go foraging
Is it really a British Christmas without a winter stroll in nature, all wrapped up in gloves and scarves? Though next time you’re on a walk, keep an eye out for bits and pieces that could turn your home into a winter wonderland. Anything that has fallen on the ground is fair game, from evergreen foliage to twigs and branches. Unfortunately, buying plastic pine cones and berries is not only a waste of cash but unsustainable, too!
Embrace the rustic vibe
Natural details such as wooden decor, foraged materials, and handmade pieces would complement the houseplant theme perfectly. Christmas is always a good excuse for bringing out your inner Picasso, so you could make your own planters and make them look magical and festive or make your own garlands using foraged materials.