HOLIDAY DÉCOR

HOME Holiday Décor Porch Greens

BY MARY TAGGART instagram twitter@maryktaggart Before tackling outdoor décor, take time to PHOTOGRAPHY BY JORDANN BROWN consider the space. Assess the sizing to make sure the decorations work harmoniously. Too much of a good thing is, well, too O ffering the whole holiday décor experience to visitors taking the Homes for the Holidays virtual tour much. Consider things like the lighting location, house numbers, and the mailbox; you don’t want the décor to block these critical elements. in support of Hospice Care Ottawa means decking the exterior too.

Elizabeth Young from Flowers Talk Tivoli created eye-catching, festive planters for a home in the Britannia Park neighbourhood for this year’s tour by combining traditional greens and berries with the modern touch of cotton. Keep in mind that once the snow comes and the pot base freezes, the decoration could hang on that front step until close to springtime. Once the base is frozen, there is no need to water, but until that happens, watering every few days will keep greens looking fresh longer.

ELIZABETH'S TIPS:

• Choose a sturdy base of either packed soil or saturated foam, keeping in mind soil is the most forgiving and better able to handle thick stems.

• Start with the tallest greens first; cedar and pine are ideal starters.

• Incorporate a minimum of three materials; winter greenery, berries, pinecones, and branches.

• Find the front of the arrangement and focus on adding the “extras” there. • Angle the greenery outwards, as well as upright so materials drape naturally, adding shape to the arrangement.