Get Fresh

The holidays are approaching, and already you’re dreading that trip to the basement or attic to haul out all the seasonal kitsch. Those table-topping snow globes and Santa’s village scenes may be a tradition, but so is the back strain from all the unwrapping, and re-wrapping, that goes along with their display. For a fresh approach, consider flowers, greenery and plants - they can create an atmosphere that’s every bit as holly-jolly, and the easy clean-up afterward will be a Christmas wish come true.

Though decorating with plants once meant a staid display of foil-wrapped poinsettias in front of the fireplace, today’s holiday floral designs are bold and imaginative. Seasonal greenery, forced bulbs and even bare branches now are seen as elements for creating a real winter wonderland.

If you’re blanching at the price tag you think this approach would carry, worry not. Your local supermarket has any number of affordable options for creating eye-catching designs. And you may be able to find wonderful holiday plant material in your own backyard.

“I take a walk in the woods and decorate a hotel,” says Michael George, a New York florist whose designs have graced the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. “You don’t ever have to go high end - it’s all about style.”

George isn’t alone in his enthusiasm for more natural holiday décor. The rising interest in the environment has more of us looking for ways to connect with the outdoors. And live or freshly cut plants also can add a life-affirming balance to a gray winter’s day.

“Especially now, the natural element is very important,” says Sheri Moretti, floral manager at Las Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel, famed for its conservatory’s annual floral display. “It also brings a certain ambience to the home, because you’ve got the smell.”

Don’t let your imagination stop at evergreens when designing a plant-based decorating scheme - there are plenty of greenery options beyond simple pine and spruce boughs. For example, New York City floral designer and event planner David Monn has taken to potting very small boxwood plants and trimming them into topiaries. He also saves magnolia boughs from fall pruning efforts to add a glossy texture to his generally monochromatic designs. “It’s actually just repurposing something we’ve already needed to deal with,” he says. “Then at the end of the holidays these are things that can go into the compost.”

Moss is another unusual background-setter that Monn has adopted. It’s becoming a staple at many florists’ shops, he says, and can be draped over foam forms to create architectural shapes. Its maintenance is simple - just a regular spritz from a spray bottle. And if it starts to turn brown, you can freshen it up by adding a few drops of green food coloring to the spray-bottle’s water.

As a counterpoint to a green background, Monn might include some paperwhites, which can be forced to bloom to fit the holiday schedule - just start them off three or four weeks before you need them. This designer to the stars, as well as numerous fundraising galas, also might weave in nuts from the local supermarket’s produce section, or acorns from the backyard, into garlands and swags. Monn isn’t alone in favoring a simple color palette during the otherwise boisterous holiday season. George also prefers settling on a dominant color - often a deep green - and, like Monn, he’ll add small accents in a secondary color.

“It’s very simple to go to your grocery store or florist and buy red flowers - red pom-poms or carnations,” George says. “Then spot them into your evergreen bouquets.”

Simplicity also is important when choosing where to locate your holiday arrangements. You don’t want to overload your living room or other entertaining areas. Instead, choose a few key locations in each room. This will allow the design to look pulled together instead of overwhelming. Monn starts by determining a room’s natural focal point - whether that’s a fireplace, dining table or other prominent feature.

“If the room doesn’t have a focal point, I’ll look to create it,” he says, perhaps by highlighting a window sill or doorway. “You need that one big accent point - then the rest is what counterbalances it.”

While simplicity rules when it comes to color and placement, big and bold should rule the day when you’re thinking about size. Remember you want the arrangement to hold center stage - if it’s too small, it will simply fade into wallflower status in the room’s overall design.

“We have a fear of scale - it’s a common dilemma,” Monn says. “When we push beyond what most people would feel comfortable with, we get to the right size.”

Moretti, who deals with more than her share of oversize spaces in her work at the Bellagio, agrees.

“You want to utilize the space and make a statement with it.”

Of course, a design based on living plants, or those that have been freshly cut, will require a bit of maintenance over the holiday season. Keep a spray bottle handy for moistening greenery - a misting every day or two will help save it from drying out. Also, Moretti notes that vase water should be changed regularly - daily is best - to keep flowers looking their best.

Finally, be sure to take time to simply enjoy the beauty natural materials add to your rooms during the long nights of winter. And don’t be afraid to keep experimenting with your arrangements as the holidays progress.

“The bottom line is, take your fear and apprehension, and just skip past that,” George says. “Just enjoy the real pleasure in decorating for the season.”