Christmas spirit in the garden

Even though hardly any plants in the garden will adorn themselves with blossoms in December, some still delight observers even in the cold season. Evergreen shrubs and trees are welcome splashes of color when deciduous plants appear bleak. But berries, like the snowberry and Callicarpa bodinieri, also known as the beautyberry, display their pretty fruits in ice and snow, enriching your garden in winter.

The interplay with the elements can also look beautiful on ornamental grasses, such as reeds, bamboo, and pampas grass, which appear very stylish in combination with ice and hoarfrost.

However, you'll unfortunately have to wait until the new year for winter bloomers like witch hazel and hellebores. But don't forget to cut a few branches from hazel and willow at the beginning of December so they can sprout by Christmas. Traditionally, these branches are cut on St. Barbara's Day, December 4th.

Beyond the increasingly versatile string lights and illuminated Christmas figures, so beloved in the USA, there are many other ways you can decorate your garden for Christmas. These arrangements and ornaments don't even need their own light source to shine, especially during atmospheric evening hours. With one or more outdoor-suitable spotlights, you can indirectly highlight such decorations.

For example, you can build a beautiful nativity scene in your front garden and place the baby Jesus in it on Christmas Eve, as is the custom in many parts of Germany. But Santa Claus, a plump snowman, angels, stars, and many other figures and motifs are also excellent for Christmas decorations. A stately conifer can, of course, also shine brightly with lights.