Bringing inside, the outside

Decorating at Christmas from your garden

Despite being the least amount of growth in gardens and across the countryside in darkest December, there is no other time when we are more likely to want to bring the outside in than at Midwinter.

In fact, perhaps it is precisely because we are in the darkest part of the year, decorating with glossy scented greens is so appealing?

In deep midwinter, when most of our time might be indoors, I am sure of that the desire to be connected to the natural world, outside, runs deep.

I maintain it is essentially human to do so.

The romans celebrated Saturnalia by making wreaths, or crowns with laurel. To symbolise the circle of the year, no start or finish as such, made with evergreen shining glossy leaves, robust plants of strength when the days are their shortest.

We have made these for millennia.

The Romans used laurel since it grew in abundance, was soft to work with as a crown. I am sure they wouldn’t have used holly in the same way! This shape has endured but using German pines with English holly and ivy. This is a Dickensian image of Christmas but if you don’t have those growing in your space what else can you use to symbolise that Midwinter greenery that speaks of Christmas?

Here are lots of ideas for decorating at Christmas, with plants you might have in your garden or find in a hedgerow.