How to Prepare Your Home Garden For Christmas

You know the Christmas season is near when you notice the homes and gardens in your neighborhood having festive decorations. While some families will take advantage of the animatronic Santa statues and outdoor nativity sets Christmas offer available in many stores, others will opt for well-decorated gardens that showcase their special holiday cheer.

This post is for anyone looking for a soothing, candle-lit environment or a grand winter wonderland. Below, we discuss great Christmas garden ideas and tips for transforming your home garden into a festive paradise.

6 Ways to Make Your Home Garden Christmasy

Below, we discuss several tips for creating a garden that reflects the festive season. 

An Outdoor Christmas Tree

An artificial Christmas tree in your living room will do the job. However, you may need to do something more special this year to get your family and friends in the Christmas mood. Buying a real Christmas tree and planting it outside is an easy way to do this. It’s also more environmentally friendly and biodegradable, and you won’t worry about taking up much space in the house since you will put it outside.

While you may need to dig a hole deep enough for the plant roots to be well-placed and covered with soil, it’s fun, especially if you love gardening. A real Christmas tree will look beautiful when lit up at night.

Note that to get the lighting outside, you will need an outdoor-grade extension cord and lighting and decorations for outdoor use.

If you can’t afford a real Christmas tree, you can use the trees in your garden. Let’s see how.

Get Your Trees and Plants to Glow

Before hanging your lights on the trees, ensure they are well-trimmed, and you have removed all the dry leaves and branches.

However, if your backyard lacks enough trees, consider draping your lights on plants and shrubs that are at least knee-high. Doing this will ensure your lights are visible and safe.

Excellent Lighting

What yard features will complement the lighting effect? Will illuminating pathways, garden beads, statues, and artwork work for you?

Knowing this will help make your Christmas lighting unique and special. But this doesn’t mean you overstuff your garden with bright colors. Instead, aim for a balanced and subdued aesthetic to create a harmonious outdoor environment.

For example, lighting around a bird bath or over a small pond or pool will be great, as it will use the water’s reflection to create beautiful scenery. Also, consider wrapping lights around trees in your backyard. The illumination will create a magical effect.

Go Vertical With Your Garden

The great thing about home gardens is that they don’t have to be horizontal. If you have a limited garden area, why not utilize the height? There are hundreds of ways to plant your garden vertically.

For example, you can turn a repurposed pallet on its sides against the garden wall or fence and then plant it with hanging greenery or shrubbery. It will create a stringy, rusty look that could help your garden look unique.

You can also try something less labor-intensive, like stacking crates against the wall and planting veggies or your favorite flowers. 

Accessories and Ornaments

Christmas means more decorations. You may use an endless number of decorations to make your garden look magical.

Door wreaths on the entrance and twinkling figurines are great starting points. If you have a balcony, stringing a garland along the top railing can do the magic. Also, look for some appealing baubles you could hang from robust shrubs to keep things lively.

Besides artificial decorations, you may use festive Christmas plants as ornaments. For instance, a hellebore in pastel pink and white with huge leaves can occupy a space you create.

Also, holly, a hardy evergreen shrub, can add a rich and appealing hue to your garden. Holly tends to bear enough red berries to make your Christmas season more colorful.

Invest in Christmas-themed Flower Pots

Another way to introduce the Christmas feel in your garden is by purchasing Christmas-themed flower pots and arranging your flowers accordingly. Then, you may fill them with beautiful garland and pebbles.

Christmas Garden Preparation Checklist

The above-discussed Christmas garden ideas will look better in a well-maintained yard. So, how do you ensure your home garden is ready for the decorations? Below are a few tasks you can execute to make your garden look great.

Prepare Your Garden

Deadheading flowering plants like roses and annuals allow them to bloom once more. However, if the annuals show no signs of blooming again, replacing them with new ones is best. If you live in a state that accommodates flowers in December, doing this ensures your garden stays colorful and appealing for Christmas. 

Also, consider mulching to prepare for the forthcoming hot weather. Mulching will help reduce weeds and give your home garden a fresh look.

Mow Your Lawn A Little High

If you reside in states with warm weather enough to mow in December, consider lifting the mower before you begin the process. More mower height gives your yard more surface area to retain moisture.

Additionally, if you’re not buried in snow, harsh low mowing before the big day can scalp your lawn, leaving unappealing dry patches that may accelerate weed growth. So, aim to remove less than a third of the grass foliage every mowing time. 

Think Beyond Evergreen

Green looks beautiful in a home garden. But for Christmas, several colors won’t hurt. For example, eucalyptus, cedar leaves, ferns, and dried maple leaves can appear magical during Christmas. Consider accenting the leaves with metal bells, velvet ribbons, and pepper berry springs for something more memorable.

For a tremendously scented option, you may have a wreath made from rosemary, lavender, or bay laurel. The breathtaking smell will delight your family and friends. Using dried herbs in your meals is also a classic idea.

Pruning

Well, pruning isn’t always fun. But you will be delighted once you cut away your garden imperfections. Pruning can completely change how your yard looks.

Pruning isn’t all about shaping and sculpting. It’s also about removing dead, diseased branches and stems that spoil the attractive looks of your garden. These tasks also improve your plant’s health and help you control its growth. 

Note that plants are different. Therefore, the pruning techniques for a particular plant may not work well for the next one. If it feels like a hefty task, consider hiring an arborist to do it perfectly.

Ready Your Home Garden for Christmas

We hope this post has been helpful to anyone looking to transform their home garden for the Christmas season.

Remember, when decorating your home garden for Christmas, ensure a balance between aesthetics and functionality. While you need your garden to look like a winter wonderland, you will have more fun if you enjoy the view without getting sick.

Also, start preparing as early as possible. Early preparations will give you ample time to choose your preferred garden decorations and correctly put them up. The third week of November would be a perfect time to start decorating.