I like to make holiday arrangements for my front porch to welcome guests. A large wooden bucket, filled with Fraser fir (Abies fraseri), Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus), Threadleaf False Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Sungold’) and Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is finished with a big red bow. As the pewter-colored squash still looks good, I left it as an accent.
A small basket hanging beneath the porch light is filled with more fir, white pine and Japanese holly (Ilex x meserveae ‘Blue Princess’), finished with a ‘welcome’ mitten.
Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase arrangements created from our gardens. Wander over to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week.
Eliza Waters 
Your front porch is so festive and homely. I’m sure you bring Holiday to cheer to you neighborhood. I’m an up and coming writer who could use all the help I can get. Would love to have your feedback on my new short story called The Writers Block. I really hope to see you there.
Thank you for your visit. Glad you stopped by!
Can you come to my home and decorate Eliza? 😀 🎄🍀🍁🎄
Ha, I’d love to, Karen! 🙂 I could use a warm weather vacation. 😉 Plus think of all the fun new plants I could play with! 😉
I agree! 🌿🍀🍁💚
Reblogged this on Purplerays.
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Looks so welcoming Eliza. Wish I could pop over for a Christmas cuppa! 😉 Your berries are lovely – I definitely need to plant a holly bush or two!
Thank you, Cathy. I wish you could, too. You’re welcome any time! 🙂
I enjoy my hollies, they sure come in handy this time of year.
So festive! Blue Prince and Princess Holly have such a pretty leaf…..I planted them a long time ago, near the side of the our house and need to trim regularly. Robins love the berries.
Thank you, Alice. They are an attractive plant and are wonderful to have this time of year. I have so many I can give away armfuls. 🙂
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Lovely, welcoming, and everything goes with your beautiful wreath. 🙂
Thank you, Judy! 🙂
What a warm beautiful welcome Eliza 💕
Thank you, Val! ❤
Your weather may be cold but there is a lovely warm welcome for anyone who visits you Eliza. I admit it makes me wonder why we don’t have welcoming outside arrangements at other times of year!
Thank you, Christina. The basket contents get rotated seasonally and when it is frost-free, there are pots of plants. But my favorite time is Christmas, although spring pansies are a close second!
You sure know how to put out a welcome sign Eliza!
🙂 Thanks, Kathy. Always!
So pretty! I have the pieces for my front porch pots, but I haven’t made them yet (put them in the same category as all the other unfinished Christmas tasks, like Christmas cards).
Thank you, Sarah. You have to pace yourself. Ten minutes a day, after your walk. 😉
Can’t be too hasty with these things!
😀
wow, Eliza, these are both stunning. The combination of the long-needled pine with the short-needled firs adds so much, and then of course the colorful berries and ribbons just finish it off.
Thank you very much, Jet. I love decorating for the holidays!
Lovely as always! Your guests will certainly feel welcome seeing such beautiful arrangements!
Thank you kindly, Peter. One would hope so!
Oh definitely festive and welcoming, Eliza!
Thank you, Cathy!
Beautiful. I love the berries and big red bow. What a welcome for your guests.
Many thanks, Chloris.
A beautiful welcome to winter and your guests. Your snowy evergreen Sunday post is equally lovely.
Thank you very much, Linda. Holiday decorating is a lot of fun.
Lovely!Enjoy your holidays !
Thank you, Anca!
You’ve got a wonderful collection of evergreens! Pine is in relatively short supply here so I usually pick up pine boughs from the local garden center to decorate for the holidays but our tinder dry conditions have me holding off for the time being.
Thank you, Kris. I lucked out with a windfall pine bough this year. Makes it really easy!
Sadly, I imagine your greens dry out quite quickly and SoCal does not need more tinder, I dare say. 😦
Some more great seasonal ideas Eliza. I shall have to plan something similar.
Thank you, Brian. These are easy and fun to do – no water involved, it would freeze solid here. 🙂
These are so welcoming and cheerful, you put me to shame, I must get on and make some festive decorations.
Thank you, Alison. Super easy and quick to work up. Give it a go!
Dark green and red make such a beautiful combination.
I agree, I love Christmas colors… thanks, Karina! 🙂
I just came in from cutting greens for some similar arrangements…hope they turn out as well as yours.
Thanks, Rickii, I’m sure they will – hope you post the results!
Your porch must look so decorated and welcoming! Both these arrangements are simple and beautiful (though not simple to arrange if I were doing it). Ah, the holidays!
Thank you, Lisa. You’d be surprised how easily these came together. Start with fir to create a criss-cross ‘web’ then add pine and lastly holly. Add bow, pinecones or faux birds for interest…it’s a snap!
Beautiful arrangements and I loved the welcome mitten!🙂
Thank you!
Fab! the fab two made me miss the hollies from my former garden. Texture and color combinations are holiday perfect. Is Winterberry deciduous?
Yes, winterberry leaves turn yellow and fall, leaving stunning red berries, which are eaten in quick order by robins, bluebirds and cedar waxwings. Some years they don’t make it until Christmas. Fingers crossed, this year we might make it … then they can have them. 😉
Ah. I thought so..years ago I worked in DC loved those and the Hawthorns. Will send Voodoo pics. Was trying but Light is strange this time of year.
Your greens and berries look so perfect for a cold December day!
Thank you!
So very pretty and festive.
Thank you, Fi.
Very welcoming, indeed!
Thank you, Laurie!
Every element of the arrangements so well matched. Just beautiful!
Thank you very much, Belinda!
I was tantalised by Swiss door wreaths. I tried once but in Cape Town even evergreens don’t last long – that is why I was delighted to find a (Swiss) glass vase designed for an Advent wreath. Perfect for me!!
I can imagine it being summer, they wouldn’t last long. The glass vase sounds like a good find!
I like both the arrangements…the holly which I had to look up, as it is new to me, is stunning and stands out beautifully. Here our hollies and evergreen…I shall look out for this shrub when visiting gardens. Anyone passing your home and seeing your porch would quite rightly say…there is a good gardener there, and welcoming hearts.
Thank you kindly, Noelle! The Japanese holly is a good one, a beautiful blue-green and roots readily. I have four bushes that came from the original. It takes the babies a few years to establish, but then they take off. I highly recommend it.
You are just so talented, Eliza. BEAUTIFUL beautiful beautiful job. Thank you so much for sharing what you create with us. 💕
Thank you so much, Amy! 🙂
You are welcome!
Your porch arrangements look awesome – v v Christmasy 🙂 love Bec xx
Thank you, Bec!
Beautiful as always, Eliza, and so festive! 🙂
Thank you, Robin. Now with all our snow, it really feels like Christmas!
These arrangements are so natural!
Thank you, Maria!
Your arrangements are so pretty. You have a nice decorating touch.
Thank you very much!