When it’s time to decorate for the holidays, mistletoe and holly come easily to mind when thinking about creating window box arrangements. Here at the park, we have many window boxes and containers to fill. By coordinating the color palette for the individual countries, we can make use of a great deal of plant material we have available at the park.
We have a variety of Juniper, in shades of green, blue and gold. Due to the variety and quantity, we use those as the framework for most of the displays. There are many hollies here, as well, but often the berry-to-leaf proportion is not conducive to extensive use.
Additional material can be collected and used within an arrangement. This year, we’ve made use of Hydrangea heads, grasses, perennial seeds and berries (don’t worry, we left some for the birds), Bayberry and Grapevine. Some plants you may not have expected have appeared in the Italy area, where we’ve made use of palms, palm seeds and yucca. Palm and yucca fronds can be sprayed to keep them from curling and drying too early. I’m sure you’ll recognize other additions to our arrangements, too.
But maybe what we have available throughout the park is not what you have in abundance in your garden. As you’re walking through your garden, try to look at it in a new way to see what you might want to use at your own home. Some invasive shrubs, like Ligustrum and Nandina, have lovely berries would be a nice alternative to the use of hollies. Even your perennials and grasses that have long stems might be able to be stripped to create striking additions to your arrangement. Keep in mind while choosing the plants for your arrangement, choose ones that grow quickly and will accept your pruning gracefully. Don’t forget to keep any cut material away from children and pets because it may be harmful.
How do you incorporate your plants into holiday window box arrangements?
