Times are tough. Yet, indoor gardeners on a limited budget can still enjoy the holidays. There are affordable ways to decorate. Here are some inexpensive ideas.
Decorating with Holiday Plants
Dress up your indoor plants for the holidays. If your houseplants are growing in attractive pots, just add ribbons and bows for a seasonal touch.
Plain plastic pots require more attention. Wrap these in Christmas foil, or use seasonal cache pots. The dollar stores sell cheap wrap. If you have some Christmas fabric on hand, that could also be used to cover the pots. Cache pots are available at thrift stores, rummage sales, and dollar stores at a reasonable price. Be sure and remove the foil or cache pot when you water the plants.
Turn your indoor evergreens, such as the Norfolk Island pine, into mini Christmas trees. Decorate these with miniature ornaments. Small red bows can be added to other indoor evergreens, such as rosemary.
Think long-term when purchasing holiday plants. The best buys are those that re-bloom year after year, such as amaryllis and Christmas cactus.
Reconsider the role of the holiday poinsettia. A premium quality plant can retain its vivid color through the spring. Some will last into the summer. The exceptions are the painted ones. With this one purchase, you can get five or more months of color. This is assuming you water it properly and keep it out of drafts.
Consider the color very carefully when choosing a poinsettia. Suitable for most any decorating scheme, the pastel and marble-toned varieties are versatile enough for spring and summer decor, which is not true for the traditional reds. You’ll tire of seeing the red after Valentine’s Day.
Decorating with Garden Materials
Most outdoor landscapes offer an abundance of holiday decorations that can be used indoors. The fact that they’re free makes them very appealing. All sorts of garden materials can be used.
Create holiday urns, tubs, and pots with cut stems of evergreens from the garden. Those with variegated or colorful foliage are particularly effective.
Fill the container with wet Oasis foam or potting soil before inserting the stems. This will help the displays last longer. Spraying the foliage with Wilt-Pruf is another option. If the spray is used, the arrangements will look good for a month or more.
For these displays, choose a mix of needled and broadleaf evergreens. Branches with berries, seed pods, and fruits are very desirable.
If you have lots of berried stems on hand, make quick and easy wreaths by inserting sprigs into grapevine wreath forms. Very affordable, the forms are available at craft stores.
If you enjoy craft painting, paint pine cones, sweet gum pods, dried okra pods, and related garden materials in suitable holiday colors. Display these on mantles, table tops, and in glass bowls.
If there are piles of tree clippings lying around in the backyard, look them over. These can substitute for painted curly willow stems, which sell for over $3 each.
Choose some branches that are less than one-half inch in diameter. Cut them into four to five foot lengths. These can be painted and used for a holiday display.
Before painting, clean the stems by wiping them with a damp cloth to remove any dirt or dust. Prune any leaves and side shoots. Now, a good coat of craft paint in suitable colors will turn these into holiday decorations.
For a decent size display, use four or five stems. Place these in a large urn or tub. Anchor them in place by crumpling pieces of newspaper and tucking this into the container around the base of the stems.
Despite the economic downtown, indoor gardeners can find affordable ways to decorate for the holidays.
