Decorating your doorstep for Christmas
HAZEL WOODS of Kilmurry Nursery offers some advice for festive planting.
Planting pots and containers with evergreen perennials is a great way to bring some cheer to your front door during this festive season and in the years to come, says Hazel Woods of the Bord Bia Bloom medal-winning Kilmurry Nursery in Gorey.
“Once properly planted and cared for, winter perennials will give you many years of enjoyment,” she explains. “When planting from scratch, think about height, colour and structure, as well as where you will place the containers. For instance, will they be in full sun or partial shade? This will help you to choose which plants best suit your location.”
Winter favourites
Vibrant evergreens such as euphorbias, with their silver, green and red hues, are well-suited to containers, says Hazel. She also recommends heuchera and tiarella, whose colours range from greens to purples and caramels.
Ferns like Polystichum polyblepharum ‘Japanese Lace’ and Blechnum spicant ‘Deer Fern’ can provide texture and structure within arrangements, advises Hazel. For winter flowers, she recommends Christmas roses such as Helleborus argutifolius and Helleborus foetidus ‘Wester Flisk’. “These also make wonderful gifts,” she adds.
Versatile pots
While some gardeners plant separate containers for summer and winter, Hazel acknowledges that not everyone has the space to store pots out of season. “If you would like to keep the same containers for year-round use, opt for one or two evergreens as a base feature then add flowering plants for seasonal colour. Grouping three pots of different heights together can make an interesting feature if you have space.”
Evergreens are easy to care for and suit even the most low-maintenance gardens, she says. “Water well when planting, only cut the dead foliage when pruning, and give them a slow-release tomato feed in spring and they will last you for many years.”
To learn more about Kilmurry Nursery and its Christmas bundle gift offering, visit kilmurrynursery.com.
