How to Bring in the Green… Encourage Thoughts of Spring!
Well, the first week of January is over and all of my glorious Christmas decor is nicely stored away for another year. And, I’m sure some of you are like me… I love putting it all up, but I really love taking it all down again! Because once it’s down, everything looks spotless and organized, and I love that look for the start of the year! However, what I don’t like is the sterile feeling that comes with it. I realized by taking down all the faux swags, sprigs, and pines, most of my GREEN went away as well. But don’t worry, I’ll show you how to bring in the green… encourage thoughts of spring!
My home is looking neat and clean. Maybe a little too much so. When I took away the Christmas most of the color and pizzazz went with it! When it’s the middle of winter and you’re longing to see green, and you live in Ohio, being indoors for months can seem a little bleak. So of course, the first thing I thought of was refreshing some of my house plants. Some did get neglected during the holidays. And, every January I do just that. I try to revive the old ones and add a few new ones. But this year I couldn’t find many healthy plants to purchase. Everything seemed picked over… it was bizarre. Maybe everyone had the same idea I did. I suppose in a month or so they will be fully stocked up again. But for now, I had to go to Plan B… here’s what I did.
plan b
I headed to my local grocery store! And, thankfully they carry a wonderful assortment of fresh flowers and greenery all year round, even in the dead of winter. They have loads of branches and leafy sprigs. The Pittosporum and Cocculus really caught my attention. They are beautiful and super long-lasting, And to my delight, they even had spring bulbs. Paperwhites and daffodils are my favorite, it was my lucky day!
Quick tip: protect your vintage vases
As soon as I got home it dawned on me, that Plan B should include using colorful vintage ceramics as well! It’s the perfect combination to bring cheer back into the home after the holidays. But, one thing I have learned over the years is to place some sort of a liner into the vessel first. It keeps them from leaking. Even if you can’t see cracks, aged ceramics can have hairline fractures. Placing a liner inside the vase keeps it from leaking water or damaging furniture and the vase itself. You can use glass bottles and jars, or you can use plastic cups and water bottles. I even use tiny plastic empty K-Cups when I’m protecting smaller ceramic vessels.
When you have an odd-shaped vase or one more narrow I use a plastic water bottle. The plastic bottle is thin and can be squeezed into tighter spaces. Just cut the top off to whatever size you need. Plastic K-cups are very handy when you are using a smaller vessel.
The beauty of bulbs
Force-blooming bulbs is such a fun winter project! It has become a tradition for me. It’s something I look forward to as soon as Christmas is over. It’s super quick and so easy to do! You just plant spring bulbs in a pot, keep them watered, and watch them grow in your own home! Usually, within a few days, you can see the new growth begin to start. And, in a few weeks, you’ll have beautiful spring blooms. I grow paperwhites and mini-daffodils but you can also try hyacinths, amaryllis, and tulips as well.
So freshening up your greenery after the holidays is a marvelous thing to do. Adding new leafy sprigs and branches along with bulbs can help combat cabin fever as well as the winter blues. So, get rid of the dreary! Bring in the GREEN and encourage thoughts of SPRING! Give it a try! Add some cheer with early spring color! Only 3 months to go… we got this! Let’s get HOMEY!
- Amazon carries a wide selection of forced bloom bulbs, like Narcissus Paperwhite, Daffodils, and Tulips (paid links).
- If you enjoyed this article, please see my article on propagating plants, “If You Love Indoor Plants These Tips Can Save Money”.
