Just as there are trends in fashion, interiors and even gardens there are also trends for Christmas. Something that John Lewis has been leading in and is still leading the way when it comes to decorating your home for the festive season. This year’s overarching theme is all about coming together, from your local neighbourhood or community to sharing a few moments with friends and family. These themes can equally be applied to the garden, whether coming together over a steaming mug of hot chocolate on a cold sunlit day. Or creating a view from the kitchen window, something to admire on a grey day or light up at night, bringing the outside in.

What is Community Garden?

The first theme is called Community Garden, what’s not to love about sharing or creating an inviting outside space! Inside this is all about plants that we traditionally think of as Christmas, think pine cones and lots of holly brimming with berries. Last year in a client’s garden we planted a pine ( Picea omorika), in their front garden. It’s a beautiful green grey tree that has a beautiful architectural shape but it was planted to have as a Christmas tree. In December it is strung with festoon lighting and welcomes their friends and family as they come down the drive. Something that could easily be recreated in smaller spaces with conifers in pots, whether having one or two either side of a door.

Christmas lights outside RHS Wisley

Setting up the display

Holly can be used in a myriad of ways in the garden, as evergreen hedging, I particularly like the deep green leaves of Ilex J.C. Van Tol or the variegated Ilex × altaclerensis ‘Golden King’. Two varieties with smoother leaves, less prickly when pruning. As a shrub or a tree, often grown as standard trees, lots of bare stem, perfect for under planting with neatly clipped rounded canopy. Although this year the trend has been for looser, fluffier trees, in the end it all comes down to personal preference or whichever fits in with your existing garden scheme.

Snow covered holly

Adding the decorations

Whether wanting to underplant to cover up lots of bare soil or add some winter interest to pots, smaller shrubs and perennials are ideal. The aptly named Christmas Box (Sarcococca confusa), provides a deep green glossy backdrop all year round but has tiny white scented flowers that fill the air in winter. For a small variety I love Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Winter Gem’, with its purple stems it only grows to half a metre.

Sarcococca confusa

Smaller still are hellebores, from the deep reds of Helleborus × hybridus ‘Harvington double chocolate’ and the pink-red of Helleborus purpurascens to the pure whites of the original Christmas Rose, Helleborus Niger. There are some really Christmassy named varieties, Christmas Carol, Snowdrift and Helleborus × sahinii ‘Winterbells’. Cyclamen are the perfect way to finish off a winter garden, looking like tiny jewels dotted in the ground or to add winter colour to a pot. Best of all these decorations don’t need putting away after Christmas and will be waiting again for you next year to brighten up your winter.

Helleborus niger

How to achieve a Christmas garden

If you would like more help in establishing a colourful garden or border, I offer a planting plan service.

About the author

Camilla Grayley is an experienced garden designer, speaker and writer based in York. She designs gardens and delivers garden consultancy services for clients in Yorkshire and across the UK.

Get in touch on 01904 670330 or info@camillagrayleydesign.com