Happy Holidays! Is it too early for me to say Merry Christmas? I don't think so- Merry Christmas! Do you like to decorate a lot for the holiday season? I bet many of you do. I love home décor and my background is in design so I definitely enjoy decorating for all seasons at our house. One simple thing I love to do during the holidays is bring the outdoors in. I find that doing so brings added warmth and is pleasing to the eye. Through fresh cuttings, a Poinsettia or two, and (of course) a fresh Christmas tree, our home comes to life even more (as if excited, sugared-up children wasn't enough to liven things up- hehe!!) on the interior and they bring the fresh aromas of Christmas, too (the fresh greenery, not the bouncing children (!)).
At Riverbend, we have an abundant supply of beautiful fresh pine and Fraser fir garlands. I love mixing these both together on a mantel. Pine drapes SO pretty and looks amazing woven into a chandelier. Fresh cuttings will typically last a couple weeks indoors, but this is dependent on what temp you keep your home (keeping it a bit on the cooler side will help them last longer) and they also will last longer if not right next to a heat vent/ where warm air is blowing on them continually.
If fresh makes ya sneeze...
Now, if you're like my sweet mama, you cannot have fresh greenery in your home because it bothers your allergies so much. Try Poinsettias or Christmas cactus. Both are relatively easy to care for and add such a nice dose of Christmas cheer without bothering allergies!
Why Poinsettias sometimes get a bad rap...
Poinsettias have long been thought of to be poisonous to people and animals. If you have a child or animal that eats anything around your house, you might not want to pick up one of these pretties. But, in researching this, I learned that they must be eaten a lot of (like 500 leaves to do serious harm) and they reportedly taste completely awful; the likelihood of your child or pet eating more than one bite before saying "yuck!" is slim. If you know something different, please let us know. Our family doesn't currently have pets (although our kids are hankering for a puppy! Before long!) and our children aren't at the teething stage anymore or putting-everything-in-their-mouth stage, so I will not hesitate adding Poinsettias to our indoor décor.
Here is how to care for Poinsettias!
These beauties are actually tropical plants in their nature so they should stay indoors. We keep our greenhouse at Riverbend heated inside during this time of the year more for the Poinsettias than for our comforts! They love warm and toasty (that doesn't mean you need to crank up the heat- I just mean in relation to cold temperatures outside- anywhere between around 65-75 in your home is juuuuust fine), and do not like being near a door that will be opened often to the outside- so keep that in mind when placing them in your house. Also, like with fresh greenery, they do best to not have an air vent blowing right on them. Poinsettias come in many sizes and you can be so creative with where to place them. Some ideas include around a hearth, on a side table, on a landing at your stairs, greeting family on the dresser in the guest room, and tucked in a guest bathroom. I bet you have many other awesome ideas on where they could be placed! They also make great gifts (you could even have your holiday guests take theirs home with them that you had placed in the guest room).
This just scratches the surface of the many ways you can decorate for the holidays by bringing the outdoors in. What ways do you love to decorate inside your home using fresh greenery and fresh flowers like those mentioned? We always love to hear from you; comment below!