Bring some extra magic to your Holiday décor by incorporating a living Christmas tree! Not only do living trees let you enjoy a new plant in your home before adding it to your garden, they are a novel way to make an impact in multiple spaces and bring an extra special touch wherever you stage them.
We invited Judith Edwards of Hive of Industry to add a living tree to her home. Judith is a Portland-based amateur gardener who loves finding ways to weave nature into her indoor spaces! Follow her top tips for decorating with a living tree this holiday season:
1. Choose a container that’s easy to move back and forth and holds up well in both indoor and outdoor conditions.
2. If your tree is small, find creative ways to give it height, like placing it on an antique plant stand, chair, or box.
3. Style your tree using colors and decorations that complement the overall holiday aesthetic in your home.
4. Since living trees are a little less uniform, use repeating elements and a refined color palette if you’re going for a more structured look.
5. Use LED Fairy Lights to maximize mobility—no plug, subtle wires, and small lights should be ideal for the scale of your living tree.
6. Provide daytrips outside to help your tree recover from the warm, dry indoor air.
7. Decorate with natural elements to highlight the organic shapes of the tree.
BONUS: Use wildlife-safe materials like berries, citrus, and dried flowers in case birds or squirrels are tempted to taste the tree trimmings—these are also compostable so you won’t feel bad tossing them if they become soggy or wind-blown on the porch!
By adding a living Christmas tree to your holiday decorations, your entryway, den, or living space will have an extra layer of depth and interest.
Living Christmas trees require some special care and considerations, so follow our helpful guidelines for living Christmas trees to keep your tree happy and healthy through the holidays until it is planted in to your garden in the new year! Happy decorating!