Ah, the weather outside is rather nice today, but lately it has been the typical December: rain, rain and more rain. That’s all right. I like being indoors this time of the year and I don’t mind going outside in the rain. But when the dark days and rainy season get me down, I like to bring some of the outdoors inside to liven up the space: not the rainy bit, of course. The plants!
Pine boughs are lovely and pine needles drape beautifully on a mantelpiece. If you live in a place where you can find cedar, cedar boughs are equally lovely and look very different from pine. I like cedar for Christmas wreaths and for sashes sweeping around the sides of the stairway.
Holly is another beautiful winter berry to bring into your home. Find someone who has a female holly tree and you will get the pretty contrast of red berries and green, pointed leaves.
Forced bulbs are another winter beauty to bring into the home. These bulbs are often available in the winter season for those of us who are summer and spring-starved. We’re hankering for the delicate crocuses and snowdrops of early spring and for the happy daffodils of late spring. Bring both into your home with these bulbs. They’re been put into a cold place to simulate winter, then they emerge when brought into a warm place. Delightful!
Choose evergreen boughs and winter flowers and berries to create cut-flower bouquets. Salal is a beautiful and very hardy West Coast plant with large, oval-shaped leaves. Florists use it as a backdrop for flower arrangements in the summer and you can use it in the winter, too. Add beautyberry in stunning pastel purple or forsythia in amazing yellow tones for a gorgeous spring-like winter bouquet.
How do you bring the outdoors into your home in this chilly winter season?