Sustainability in the Festive season

6 Dec

Now we are in December I wanted to share some of the things I am doing this year to make our Christmas a more sustainable one.

It won’t be a surprise that as a Garden Designer I love to bring the outdoors in. There is something special about using items from your own garden in your Christmas décor.

Sustainability can sometimes have negative connotations, and we can be left feeling like we aren’t doing enough.

In my opinion it doesn’t need to be all or nothing. I believe any small step is a positive one, and ultimately how you celebrate Christmas is totally unique to you!

I hope in this blog I can inspire you to think differently about being sustainable, without compromising on beauty when it comes to Christmas…and maybe tempt you to bring some of the outdoors in this festive season.

Christmas decorations

This year I grew Allium Schubertii which is a fantastic large allium which looks just like a firework. When the flowers went over, I cut the stems and hung them up out of direct sunlight to dry them.

The stems have dried incredibly well, so I will spray them silver and gold and hang them to create a wonderful ceiling center piece. They also look great on the Christmas tree.

In addition to Alliums, I also grow Physalis alkekengi (Chinese lantern). These wonderful orange lanterns make fantastic decorations and dry really easily.

Adopting the same method as above I have created individual lantern decorations which will be added to our tree tied with jute twine, and I kept some long stems which I will add to vases for the table.

Christmas wreath

Christmas wreaths are a firm favourite for me and I don’t just mean on the door.

For a sturdier wreath which you can hang you can buy metal wreath rings (which can be used again), collect moss from your lawn to create a base and use holly and ivy from your own hedges to make small bunches which can be wired on to your wreath.

Adding dried flowers, dried fruit, pinecones, sticks, feathers and ribbon can all add a personal touch to your wreath too.

For something smaller I like to use a long piece of ivy to create a circular base and apply the same method of creating bunches from my own hedgerows to wire on. This looks great on a table or windowsill with a candle in the center.

P.s. if you don’t have your own hedgerows to forage from, please be aware that you don’t take more than you need. If you are on private land, you will also need to seek permission from the landowner. Finally, be careful not to forage any protected plants.

Christmas tree

There are a few options to trying to be more sustainable when it comes to your Christmas tree, here are four options;

- Grow your own. You can buy potted trees which you can bring indoors for Christmas and when the festivities end you can return it to the garden. You can either plant in the garden (if you have space), or pot it on when it outgrows the pot and use it for a number of years.

- Buy local. Choosing your own fresh Christmas tree from a local supplier will support local business and reduce the miles you need to travel for your tree.

- Recycle. When you are finished with your real tree you can cut this down and create your own wood chippings which can be added to your compost heap, or used to create paths in your veg patch.

Or why not support a local tree recycling scheme?

In Stroud (Gloucestershire) we have a local hospice Longfield who run a Christmas tree collection service every year. This is run by volunteers and all you need to do is register and confirm a few details to set your collection.

You can donate whatever you can afford and they will collect your tree for you. This helps raise vital funds for the charity and ensures appropriate disposal of your tree.

Once the trees have been collected, they are distributed to local gardens where they are chipped to use in the gardens.

If you are local and want to find out more, please follow this link.

Decorating the Christmas table

Decorating our table for Christmas is something I love to do, and a great chance to bring the outdoors in. Here are some things you can try:

- Use leftover foraged material from your wreath or snippets from your Christmas tree to add to vases/ jam jars or lay on the table.

- Make sustainable napkin rings using rosemary to create little wreaths which you can tie with twine. They look and smell gorgeous!

- Force indoor bulbs in pots, this will mean getting a bit organised before Christmas but these will create a great table decoration. Once they have finished flowering the bulbs can be re-used if stored correctly, or you can experiment with adding to the garden depending which ones you opt for.

Alongside the things I am personally doing, I have also found some beautiful ideas on Pinterest.

So, in addition to this blog I have also curated a new board for you to have a scroll through. A great excuse to sit with a hot chocolate to get your creativity flowing!

I’d love to know any of your favourite ways to celebrate Christmas more sustainably, drop me an email or come and tell me on social media.