Popular Christmas Plants And Flowers – Turn Your Home Into A Winter Wonderland
Christmas is coming, which means tucking into a traditional turkey dinner, warming chestnuts by the fire and enjoying time with family members you’ve not seen for a while.
Whatever your Christmas consists of, it can become that extra bit special with a stunning array of plants and flowers both inside and outside your home.
The best thing is, you don’t even have to be a green fingered.
Garden centres, flower shops and DIY stores sell an abundance of plants, foliage, seeds and bulbs ready for the Christmas period, so you’ll never be stuck for choice.
Here’s some fantastic options for you to include in your home;
The Poinsettia
The Poinsettia is perhaps one of the most recognisable Christmas flowers.
From wonderful wreaths to beautiful bouquets, this flower is bound to liven up almost every festive arrangement.
Be careful when transporting them from the shop to your home in the winter though, as cold outdoor temperatures can damage the foliage. (irony considering it’s meant to be a Christmas plant, we know)
Always ask the shop if they can wrap the plant in paper right around the top, or put it in a plastic bag for complete protection.
Sometimes a poinsettia will start wilting once you get it home, and continue to deteriorate, no matter what you do. This could be due to the plant having been stored in cold conditions in the shop before you bought it.
Unfortunately, there is little you can do about it, but don’t let that put you off buying it.
Amaryllis
Amaryllis is another popular holiday plant. Tall and graceful, this holiday flower bulb can make a statement as a centrepiece on the table and its trumpet like flowers look like they are harking the Christmas holidays.
Typically, the red and white variety are what’s used at Christmas time, but they also come in a wide range of other colours, including pink, orange and blue. (they can also be solid, striped or speckled)
Christmas cactus
The Christmas cactus is so named because it is thought to naturally bloom around the festive period. If you buy one of these plants for your home and keep it in a similar position, you’ll see that it will naturally begin to bloom in late October / early November.
These lovely cacti also have lush flowers that hang down like lovely Christmas ornaments from the ends of the leaves of the plant.
Rosemary
The rosemary plant has always been a popular plant for Christmas bouquets, simply because it resembles the iconic Christmas tree. Its wispy, long stems also grow upwards, so they look lovely as a potted plant.
Rosemary is also said to be lucky at Christmas time because of the Nativity story. It is said that, once the baby Jesus was born, his clothes were dried on a rosemary bush.
Holly
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without holly would it!?
From Santa’s hat to decorative items in your home, this iconic prickly plant with its bright red berries is arguably the most iconic of all Christmassy related items.
Surprisingly, while holly is a traditional Christmas plant, its origins date back to Druids, who thought the plant represented everlasting life. It was only many years later that Christians adopted the plant as a symbol of Jesus’ promise of everlasting life.
Mistletoe
Another holiday plant used as decor more than a live plant, this common Christmas decoration also dates back to the druids. But, unlike holly, the Christian church did not adopt it as a tradition, it was actually frowned on instead.
Despite being forbidden as a decoration at one point in time in the Christian church, this holiday plant is still commonly seen. Originally a symbol of fertility, now it is simply a sneaky way for boys to get kisses from girls.
Be aware though guys! If grannie’s around, she’ll want one too!
For a little more inspiration, check out B&Q and Homebase for some spectacular seasonal options.
Image sources note: no copyright infringement is intended