As the weather changes and the onset of winter looms, we look to keep our outdoor spaces still popping. How do we do this? Outdoor Winter Arrangements!
Changing over your planters to a mixed variety of wintery greenery is such a nice way to keep the outdoors full of color, texture and scent. Using a mixture of different winter greenery allows for a layered aroma.
What’s your style?
Here are some ideas for your Outdoor Winter Arrangements:
Minimalist – keeping things simple with a single focal point in your planter and only one or two types of winter greenery can sometimes make a bold statement.
Shaggy Chic – you can have some fun with these outdoor winter arrangements. Work with longer needled winter greenery, White Pine, Port Orford Cedar, Leyland Cypress or Red Cedar work well for the untamed look.
Classic – this one stands out on its own. Work with a mixture of both long and short needled winter greenery. Firs mixed with pine and cedar bring this one to life. You will achieve the classic Christmas look and feel easily.
So many types to choose from, where do you start?
Boxwood/Oregonia – The tiny leaves work great to add a little rich color and texture to your arrangement. These branches are compact, upright and sturdy so they work great in the centre. Their scent is strong but elegant at the same time.
Spruce – These are not commonly used as they are spiky and prickly, but the scent is outstanding. These would be used in a lower layer in your winter arrangement as they are quite stiff and stand proud.
Cedar – The almighty classic cedar. The citrus scent that cedar gives off is very pleasant. Extremely cold tolerant, soft feathery needles in shades of green. These needles have a slight droop to them offering a free-flowing element. These are often used throughout your winter arrangement.
Firs – There are a few different types that get mixed into the winter arrangement world. Fraser fir and balsam fir would be two of the more common ones. Fraser fir holds its needles extremely well and usually are dense in needles, this brings about the classic Christmas look.
Silver or Noble fir are two not so commonly known ones. These offer a two-toned color combination, blue/green & dark rich green. The citrus scent is unbelievable, combine that with the texture and voila such a stunning element to add.
Juniper – Usually called berried juniper, these branches filled with clusters of dark blue to dark purple berries add a lot. These will offer more of traditional Christmas scent but are usually used more for their texture. Use these in the middle layer of your arrangement to add some pop!
Now for the fun stuff!
Magnolia Tips – Southern magnolia is a showstopper in your arrangement. These leaves with rich dark green top and brown underside fill the arrangement with an abundance of color and texture. Use these in the upper centre of your arrangement as they are sturdy, robust and cold tolerant.
Eucalyptus – This classic has been around forever. Found in different shades of blue/green or dyed in different colors these really tie your color theme together. The classic scent has been a staple in the winter arrangement world for a lifetime. Use these in the upper centre of your arrangement for the pop.
Salal – This one might be a little less common. Usually found in the florist industry, these bunches of large light green leaves add a nice texture to any arrangement.
The focal point!
Dogwood Branches – Typically found is the red dogwood, but lately some of the newer varieties are showing up for a different color pop. Yellow Twig, Cardinal Pink and Artic fire are just a few to name. Use these in the centre of your arrangement for height, color and statement.
Birch Stems – The classic birch, this one has been a staple. They are known as white birch but some of the more common birch stems found lately are river birch. Reason, river birch is less susceptible to insects and disease. Use them in the centre for height and a bold statement.
Curly Willow – The curly willow seems to come and go, these soft long curly stems add a different intertest to a piece. Often found now with a more yellow tone these offer height, texture and statement.
Ilex Berries – This classic from the deciduous holly plant offers large clusters of deep red berries. These provide a classic winter look to any arrangement. Lately we have seen some of the uncommon varieties pop in the winter world, orange Ilex can sometimes be found.
Lastly add your signature piece, whether it’s a large sugar cone, cluster of outdoor ornaments, or the classic bow, go ahead jazz up your outdoor winter arrangements!
