At this time of year, around 30% more waste is generated, and once the Christmas decorations come down, many households clear out their trees and other seasonal greenery. These plants don’t need to be thrown away though, they can be kept in the garden, where they’ll look lovely throughout the year while also supporting local wildlife.
Evergreen plants like holly and spruce provide a lovely green backdrop in the garden while also offering a valuable food source for wildlife. These plants offer food sources like berries and seeds which are especially important for animals throughout winter, as many of their usual food sources become scarce. Holly is a classic Christmas plant, and it comes in loads of varieties, so you can choose whether you prefer a compact shrub as hedging, or a decorative potted tree for a stylish touch.
Hardy herbs like rosemary are also excellent choices throughout the festive period and they’re versatile as well. Rosemary can be used in your festive cooking while also looking lovely as decoration.
You can shape the plant into a small Christmas tree and place it outside by the entrance for a fragrant welcome and use the cuttings for gift-wrapping.
Flowering plants brighten the garden, and hardy varieties such as red and white cyclamen or hellebores in planters can create a festive display throughout winter.
In smaller pots, these blooms can be brought indoors and used to decorate areas of the home, like tables or windowsills. Winter blooms are also great for early pollinators which can feed off the nectar they produce.
Festive outdoor plants that last beyond the Christmas season:
1. Holly
Holly is a lovely Christmas classic that looks good all year-round. Its berries are an important food source for wildlife, and the dense bushes provide much needed shelter and nesting spots for animals like birds and hedgehogs.
2. Hellebores
Winter hellebores are hardy flowers often known as the Christmas rose. ‘Christmas Carol’ is a popular festive variety, producing soft white blooms that provide nectar for early pollinators. Although the flowers become dormant over the summer months, the evergreen foliage remains throughout the year and can offer valuable shelter for wildlife.
3. Spruce
Spruces make a lovely addition to the garden all year round, and they’re perfect for using as outdoor Christmas trees. Their evergreen branches bring a bit of extra greenery to the colder months and can be decorated to suit the season. They also produce seeds that provide a food source for wildlife, and their dense foliage offers shelter for birds and other small animals.
4. Cyclamen
Cyclamen are popular Christmas plants that add a pop of colour to the garden – just make sure you choose a hardy winter variety. Their red and white flowers look especially lovely in planters and are perfect for brightening up the front garden during the festive season. They become dormant during summer but can be left in place to bloom again the following winter.
5. Rosemary
Rosemary is a hardy herb that can stay outdoors in December. You can trim it into a Christmas tree shape for a lovely, fragrant decoration which also comes in use when it’s time to cook the roasties on Christmas day. It’s a great plant for pollinators and can benefit the garden ecosystem all year round.
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