Home for the Holidays

To me, a room is never finished without fresh flowers and greens.  When getting the house ready for holidays, there's nothing better than bringing the freshness of the outdoors in.   Whether it's a festive handmade wreath to decorate the door or a beautiful garland to garnish the table or mantle, flowers add life to a home and make it welcoming!

Debra Prinzing, outdoor living expert, author and lecturer specializing in interiors, architecture and landscapes recently shared with readers how to stay local and sustainable when creating holiday wreaths and garlands.

From harvest to holiday

It’s easy to stay local when you make a wreath from homegrown San Diego greenery and blooms. 

Subtropical plants are enjoying a huge surge in popularity in the global cut flower market, which is why it’s so satisfying to know that San Diego County has many family farms, large and small, that are producing Protea, Leucadendron, Leucospermum, Banksia, Leptospermum, Chamelaucium (Wax flowers), Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) and other Mediterranean specimens.

DIY holiday garland made with foliage, flowers from California's backyard

For millennia, garlands created from intertwined foliage, flowers and fruit stems have symbolized home, hearth - and hospitality.

During the holidays, we expect to see evergreen garlands, often made with cedar boughs.  But according to floral designers who want to "go local", you don't have to rely on the Pacific Northwest's forests to decorate doorways, mantels or tabletops.

May your holidays be filled with fresh flowers and greens that bring you a bounty of joy and happiness!