Nothing says December like poinsettias, and a classic evergreen wreath on the front door will always welcome in the holidays. But florists and designers make it their business to play year-round with creative combos of lesser-known flowers and plants, and the cold months are no exception. Half a dozen stop-ins at local shops yielded some novel ideas for warming and brightening our homes this season, using everything from branches and berries to flowers and fruit. Here’s what we found.
Cyclamen are a nice choice for winter decorating, says owner John LaSalle, because “they’re long-lasting, they’ll flower well into spring, and they stay green for a long time afterwards.”
LaSalle also recommends azaleas, plus little indoor trees like lemon cyprus, which has an appealing citrus fragrance. “The lemon cyprus has only been on the market for a few years, but it’s really taken off,” he says. “All of a sudden they’re really popular, because of that nice light green color. And for the holidays, you can decorate them with berries or lights.”
In addition to flowers like geraniums — which can be set outside during the summer, then brought inside to flourish after it gets cold — store owner Corina Miller suggests small citrus trees, such as orange and lime (she adds that those limes will also last for a long time outside if they’re incorporated into a wreath, perhaps made of grapevine and eucalyptus). “I also like to have a lime green pothos,” she says, since “lime green is a color that lifts and brightens everything.”
Miller also decorates her shop and home with bulbs during the winter: “Amaryllis, paperwhite, hyacinth … we find nice containers, put stones in, and add water. The bulbs root into the stones and give off a nice fragrant smell, which is very spring-like.”
Rooms that get little natural light are easily enhanced with a plant light on a timer, which usually costs $30 to $50. “And I love botanical prints, when done right,” she adds. “I like to create the look of a greenhouse inside. Everything is better with plants.”
The availability of flowers during the winter has changed significantly over time, says store owner Walter “Chip” Nuttelman. In the past, shoppers may have been limited to classic varieties like white carnations during wintertime, but flowers like hydrangeas are now available through the fall and winter. Even tulips, once a springtime flower, are available in December these days.
Nuttelman says that he also sells a lot of white orchids — an exotic alternative to the classic white carnation.
“Poinsettias are our main thing during the holidays,” says shop employee Amber Deats, “but we’ll also do red and green arrangements with whatever we get in that goes well together.” She says that Forget Me Not always carries hypericum berries as well, which come in various colors: “we’ll typically get more hypericum in red and green around the holidays, so that we can mix them into the arrangements.” She adds that the shop also carries rosemary, cedar and other evergreens, which fit nicely into winter-themed designs.
Larger indoor plants like schefflera and potted flowers like chenille (acalypha hispida) sell well during the winter, says shop owner Becky Guyer. She also has begun putting together seasonal winter bouquets, and for those she recommends waxflower, dendrobium orchids, cedar, white gerbera daisies, and hypericum berries. Pinecones, of course, make a warm impression throughout the cold months.
Guyer says she also has been experimenting with adding tufts of cotton to her arrangements — a “cool new look” that’s proving popular right now.
Store owner Gail Kelly is partial to premium flowers like tulips, calla lilies, and peonies during the winter, but she adds that her shop creates a lot of non-flower arrangements as well.
Kelly and her staff often use branches, twigs, and grapevines, plus fruits like pineapples, pomegranates, and cranberries. Miniature white decorative pumpkins add some shape to any centerpiece, as do plants like leucadendron, scabiosa pods, billy balls, and yarrow.
She also points to ornamental kale — which comes in blends of green, purple, and white — as a way to add some attractive volume and texture to any arrangement.