Florida inspired holiday decor
With Thanksgiving just a week away, it’s time to start planning holiday décor for your home. We all need a break from cleaning up after Ian, and this year I’m inspired to celebrate the resilient beauty of Florida using native elements in my decorations. Many of us moved to Southwest Florida from points north, and certainly we were encouraged to settle here in large part due to the abundant sunshine, sparkling waters and colorful tropical foliage. There are many ways we can reflect these natural treasures in our homes during the holiday season, and I have some easy to implement suggestions to offer!
Holly and red berries are a traditional holiday theme, and we have several native holly species and cultivars such as Yaupon holly, American holly, and Dahoon holly that thrive in Florida. The familiar shiny green leaves and red berries adorn these hollies as we approach the holidays, and also provide an excellent source of food for our native birds. If you don’t have one of these hollies in your landscape, consider adding one this winter when you can observe the berries before you plant the shrub.
Another alternative is Wild coffee (Psychotria nervosa), a native Florida shrub with glossy green foliage and lovely small red berries. This shade loving plant provides nectar for butterflies when flowering and its berries are a food source for many bird species.
The Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is another Florida native that produces clusters of purple berries along the plants’ long stems that are perfect for use as a unique addition to holiday floral arrangements.
Wreaths are a beautiful accessory to any door during the holidays, but the familiar fresh evergreen wreaths often dry out in our warm weather and sunshine. You can use alternative materials to construct a wreath; consider hearty plants such as rosemary or other herbs, or use a grapevine or straw wreath form studded with natural materials such as dried citrus slices, cinnamon sticks, pine cones, dried seed pods and berries.
Striking red blooms add a bright pop of color to your home, and the plants can be moved into your garden after the holidays. Poinsettias are a familiar expression of the holiday season that can be a year-round part of your landscape. Poinsettias should be planted in well-drained soil in a sunny spot in your garden; they should be fertilized monthly and trimmed up until September to prepare for winter color. You can find more information on poinsettias and their care on the University of Florida website: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/poinsettias/.
Amaryllis bulbs are widely available in garden centers or by mail order at this time of year, and will provide stately red blooms for several weeks in your home. After the holidays you can plant these bulbs shallowly in well-drained soil in a sunny location; blooms will appear annually in the spring and the bulbs will multiply quickly in our climate.
Christmas cactus (Schumbergera truncata) love our warm, humid environment, and after an impressive display in your home they can be moved to a shady spot on your lanai where they will flourish until they bloom again next Christmas.
Finally, use your imagination to incorporate tropical plant material into your holiday décor. Palms and palmetto fronds impart a sophisticated structure to floral arrangements and are long-lasting additions to your decorations. Dried palm seed pods or the woody base of large palm fronds can be fashioned into containers for arrangements that can include fresh greens, berries and even flowers. Dried seed pods from crape myrtles, sweet gums or dwarf royal poincianas can be sprayed with gold or silver paint to add a natural, light and glittering emphasis to your floral designs. Even the dried stems of foxtail ferns or dried heads from ornamental grasses can be spray painted and used to add a bit of whimsy to your arrangements.
And don’t forget the abundance of beautiful shells and sea glass that remind us of our magnificent coastline; these beach items can be added to wreaths, decorative lanterns, tucked into floral designs or simply arranged in a glass bowl with tiny lights wound throughout to bring a warm glow to your tabletop.
As a transplanted Virginian, I am accustomed to warmer holidays infused with salt air and beach memories. But I’m an ardent believer in the power of place – that we should celebrate and display the beautiful environment we find ourselves in here in Southwest Florida. That subtropical beauty, after all, had to be a motivating factor in our decision to relocate to this wonderful part of the world! Embrace the natural beauty of our Gulf Coast and move beyond the stiff firs and prickly spruces from former holidays to spotlight the grace and warmth of softly swaying palms, glittering waters and bright tropical flowers. Your spirits will be lifted, and you’ll celebrate the uniqueness of your surroundings within the familiar context of the holidays!
Cathy Dunn is a Lee County Master Gardener Volunteer and a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral. Visit us at www.gardenclubofcapecoral.com.