There’s nothing more magical than opening your curtain to reveal a sparkling winter wonderland on your backdoor step. We might not always be lucky enough to get a smothering of crisp, white snow. But there are lots of simple things you can do to transform your garden and share a little Christmas spirit!
Light It Up
If you’re looking for a quick win then you can’t go wrong with some outdoor suitable fairy lights. Fairy lights can instantly transform a bare tree, unsightly wall or a lonely shed into a fairy-tale spotlight. Outdoor lights are easy to get hold of and don’t worry if you don’t have close access to mains electricity. Battery-powered lights solve this one and will also prevent trailing wires from causing trip hazards.
The lights will shine through snow and frost. Twinkling in the sun, brightening up dull days and shining like hundreds of little stars at night.
Get Creative
For something a little bit different, why not try creating your own ice bucket? This is a great way to utilise the fruits of your labour and preserve winter-flowering beauties. All you need is a bucket and a few stems of your choice.
Firstly, start by filling your bucket with water. Then take your flower stems, leaves, twigs and Christmas tree clippings and place them into the water. Put them all around the sides of the bucket, leaving a little of the stems poking out of the top of the water. Use sellotape to stick these to the bucket, this is to keep them in place. Pop your bucket outside during a cold night (or put it in the freezer) and once your water has frozen over, turn the bucket upside down. The ice should just slide out. Place the ice on the patio, along pathways or by a doorway and enjoy as it glistens in the light.
You could even add a candle by placing a second smaller bucket into the water to create a hollow middle. Turn the ice out like before then place a candle inside to add a warming touch.
Candles & Lanterns
Another simple way to use candles and add a bit of sparkle to your winter garden is with two simple ingredients. Tea lights and lanterns! Lanterns with lids can be left out no matter the weather, but a mixture of styles will add to the effect.
Mix and match wooden, metal and painted lanterns of different shapes and sizes. Sit them in clusters in opposing areas around the garden. Similarly, you can use rows of the same style lanterns along pathways or doorways for a beautiful warm welcome.
Using Your Citrus Fruits
If you’re feeling less like you want to brave the chill and stay indoors. Why not try these three quick and easy ways of using oranges to spice things up.
Poke small holes in the skin of an orange and fill the holes with cloves. You can cover the orange or create pretty patterns – whichever you prefer. Just remember to leave space at the top to remove the skin and half an inch of flesh. Using a knife, carefully remove the skin and flesh at the top leaving enough room to add a tea light. Light up and you know have yourself a wonderfully spicy scented citrus candle holder.
An alternative use for a festive citrus display using a little ribbon that fits your Christmas colour scheme. Tie up your orange and hang it from your tree, off the end of a curtain rail, or anywhere you want. It will fill the room with that delicious scent. You can also try covering the orange in cloves or star annis, or create your own patterns. Just remember that fresh oranges will only last about 3-4 days so leave this until just before Christmas.
Try dehydrating orange slices and bundling them up to create another wonderful hanging display. Slice your orange approx. 2cm thick, pierce a hole through the flesh at one end and place straight onto the oven rack. Dry in the oven for 3-4 hours at a low temperature of about 80 degrees celsius. Once dried, leave them to cool in the oven, then take them out, thread your ribbon through and hang!
For advice on growing citrus trees, Click Here.
