5 Festive Foliage Tips with Lindsey Kitchen

Want to adorn your home with festive charm this Christmas? Then we have the perfect guide for you! Read on…

Lindsey Kitchen’s (@thewhitehorseflower) Top 5 Festive Foliage Tips

1. Bringing a flourish of evergreens into the home has long been a festive tradition; but you don’t have to be a master of floral design or crafting to do this! Before I trained as a florist, I would often drape foliage over mantles, layering it up with holly berries and or mistletoe. I’d tuck sprigs of holly over pictures on the wall too! For my table centre at Christmas, I opt for the simplest of decorating, as there are often so many people around the table there is real a risk it could look cluttered. With traditional crackers at each place setting, there’s little space for anything too ambitious, so I prefer to feature small vases of one or two varieties of flowers. Anemones or hellebores are my personal favourites and, dispersed amongst the greenery along the table, I’d place some candles.

2. ‘Less is definitely more’ on Christmas Day, but for those festive supper parties around the big event, I like to lay sprigs/small stems of foliage directly on the table. You can embellish this layer of greenery (such as eucalyptus ivy, or off cuts from the Christmas tree) with candle holders featuring coloured tapered candles. If space permits, a scattering of small vases of single stem flowers looks great – again my favourites would include tulips, anemones and ranunculus in jewelled colours. Simplicity is key to success when hosting, especially when there’s the meal to prepare too!

3. As a skilled florist, I mostly make the foliage heavy wreaths on a moss base which are designed to hang outside, whatever the weather. That said, some of the more delicate indoor wreath designs have become very popular. They have a more delicate aesthetic and often incorporate dried flowers, grasses and foliage. This look is very on trend; the decoration is only on part of the wreath ring, thus leaving the remainder of the metal exposed as a lovely metallic detail. These designs can look beautiful both inside and out, if the dried elements are not directly exposed to direct moisture (under a porch will be fine).

4. Garden Trading have a selection of beautiful wreaths readily available in both metal and more substantial ratan, onto which you can attach a variety of decorative accents to create a look to suit your home. Their ratan wreaths are beautifully substantial as a stand-alone decoration, they come in two sizes and at Christmas time I like to embellish mine by wrapping around battery-operated fairy lights. This one simple addition illuminates and elevates the wreath perfectly for the festive period. Want to add a touch of green? You can do this too, simply by pushing a few trails of ivy into the rattan gaps and wind around the wreath – this will add a simple green flourish with minimal effort. You could also add a few berries by pushing these in between the rattan gaps.

5. If you’re looking to embellish with the simplest flourish of foliage, Garden Trading’s metal Farringdon wreath rings are gorgeous, straightforward and look a treat with a touch of eucalyptus or foraged ivy trails. Feeling more adventurous? How about attaching dried or faux flowers onto the hoop? This is achieved by binding small bunches of flowers and or foliage onto the metal ring with string or ideally wreath wire and covering the last layer of bound on stems with a beautiful drop of ribbon in your favourite colour. So here we have it; two gorgeous wreath options - plus a myriad of creative possibilities to personalise and decorate your Christmas home - enjoy!