It’s time to start thinking about holiday greenery. Would you like to dress up your front door? Just about any doorway, container, hanging basket, window box and more can be decorated for the holidays. Here are some suggestions on outdoor decorating ideas to artfully arrange some winter beauty!

• Walk around your yard first — look for twigs, dried seed heads and flowers, berries, unusual leaves, etc. that you may be able to use in arrangements

• Look for things to decorate — mailbox, birdbaths/feeders, arbors, trellises, entryway doors, lampposts, benches, shepherd’s hooks, fences, summer containers, etc.

• Keep a consistent theme or color — lights, bows, materials, etc.

• When coming in to purchase greenery, it often helps to bring in a photo or two of your entrance or pottery.

Decorating entranceways

The entranceway welcomes family and friends to your home during the holidays. In just a short time you can have a beautiful entryway decorated with garland, containers, wreaths, and swags. Always measure what you are decorating. Measure all around your doorway and take into account the sidelights and any slack you want in the greenery. Don’t cut your garland until you’ve hung it and like the way it looks. Your look can be simple or elegant, modern or traditional.

Decorating containers

You’ve got planters sitting on your front porch — now stuff them full of greens and make them look great for winter! You’ll want to purchase several bundles of mixed greens such as cedar, juniper, pine, spruce, and hemlock to fill the container. Start by arranging one type of greenery on the face of the clock. Weepy, hanging greens like cedar look good around the rim of pots. Spruce and pine tend to be more upright and full. Keep filling in the pot on the face of the clock until you have a nice base of mixed greenery. Next you’ll add your “foo foo” stuff like dogwood stems, dried flowers, holly stems, etc.

Most of all — just have fun! Decorating with fresh greens is easy and the greens will last past the holiday season …. just in time to be yanked out for the first spring Pansies! Please don’t hesitate to ask us for help planning your décor. We have tons of fresh cut greens, dried goodies, holly berries, and more and our “elves” are always happy to help!

Happy Holidays from the staff at Wasco Nursery.

• Meagan Provencher is the Sr. Landscape Designer for Wasco Nursery in St. Charles and the 2016 Illinois Certified Professional of the Year. She can be reached at (630) 584-4424 or design@wasconursery.com.