Holiday Containers for the Garden

There's more to holiday decor than ornaments and lights. Nursery owner Brita Lemmon shares her ideas for enhancing your home with not-so-common holiday florals arranged in interesting containers.

• Use herbs to create an aromatic display. Fill a galvanized bucket with soil and plant it with herbs like gray sage and silver thyme; use anything that has silver foliage and good texture. Plant parsley as well for contrast against the silver foliage. Secure pine cones onto wire and stick into the soil for a holiday touch.

• Instead of poinsettias, use houseplants with red-tinged leaves, white blooms or dark green foliage.

• Go for an all-natural look with a Manzanita tree decked out in a bundle of faux berries. Look for a Manzanita (dried twig) tree and the faux berries at a craft store; simply insert the berry twigs into the tree to create an all-red display. Add pine cones, dried hydrangeas or other florals that coordinate with your holiday look.

• For a rustic look, use baskets, old pots and pans, wash basins, colorful coffeepots and teapots or colanders to hold your favorite florals. Use moss for a finishing touch.