Decorating the Greenhouse for Christmas

Scandinavian-style decorations for an outdoor celebration

I have deep Scandinavian roots, and our family’s Norwegian traditions largely center on the holiday season. As I decorated The Greenhouse for the season, I imagined hosting a Santa Lucia celebration for friends and family here — a celebration of light in the darkness on the shortest of days.

With a trunk full of greens from our local garden center, I set to work. I chose Western Cedar garland which has a loose, draping quality — perfect for the railings and arch on the stage and the pergola. The wreath is gorgeous with pinecones and berries. And the smell! Heavenly! There’s nothing like the smell of fresh-cut greens! I also picked up some loose greens which were great for filling in bare spots and for creating small arrangements.

Before I started work, I soaked everything in cool water for 24 hours. For the garlands and wreath: I just submerged them in water. I have a large outdoor sink which is perfect for this, but you can also just put them in your bathtub or a wading pool. Your greens just need one last drink before you hang them. If they start to look parched during the season, you can take them down and soak them again, too. For the loose greens, I also snipped off about 1 inch from each stem before putting them into the water which helps them soak up even more fresh water.

Note: links to some of the items used in this project including lights and candles are found at the end of the post.

One of the iconic elements of a Scandinavian Christmas is the use of wheat. I didn’t have wheat, but my garden was filled with the same golden color as frost has turned the remains of summer to gold. I grabbed a trug and some seccateurs, and set out to gather in the garden.

The swag on the door: stems and leaves from my Gladiolus Murielae.

And I wove leaves and stems from asparagus fern into the garlands on the handrail for a little contrast. This is the heart of the garden, after all. So I wanted to use elements of the garden in the decorations.

On the Feast of Santa Lucia, I lined the stage with luminaria — white bags which each contained a candle. Luminaria aren’t Scandinavian — they are a Mexican tradition. But having grown up in Texas, they are a part of my own cultural fabric as well. In fact, we had luminaria at our wedding lining the path between the church and the reception!

For the One Room Challenge reveal, I had already potted up several Baby Colorado Blue Spruce and a Picea Orientalis — all living evergreen trees which will thrive in pots for a few years before they need to find a permanent home. I added some solar fairy lights and voila! Living Christmas trees!I also added solar-powered fairy lights to the wreath. After a good charge, they twinkle for hours each night creating just a little more magic in the back yard. I might have to keep them up all year!

A few red bows enhance the natural beauty of this Scandinavian-inspired scheme.

Underplantings of strawberries and Heuchera have long-lasting red color well into December beneath these dwarf Burning Bush.

Because of the simplicity of the garlands and lights, the much-needed snow simply enhanced the winter look.

I created a few video posts on Instagram for a peek inside The Greenhouse, too.

Click each photo in the gallery below for a closer view of the finished results.

As you are considering outdoor decorations for your home or greenhouse, keep it simple. Think about what your own garden can supply. And use natural elements like greens and evergreen trees to create your own winter wonderland.

This post isn’t sponsored, but thanks to O’Toole’s Garden Centers for providing the gorgeous greens, plants, and wreath.

Sources

These are some of the elements I used in this project. If you purchase something through these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support!