Keep the Festive Spirit Alive: How to Care for Holiday Plants and Blend Them into Your Year-Round Decor
Holiday plants bring that extra sparkle and joy to your space, but once the holiday lights come down, you might wonder how to make them work with your year-round decor. Fear not! These plants can do more than just look festive—they can enhance your everyday vibe and fit right in with your regular houseplants. Here’s how to keep these beauties alive and effortlessly blend them into your decor after the holidays, so they don't end up feeling like party guests that overstayed their welcome!
Amaryllis
These big, bold blooms add drama to any holiday decor!
- Light: Amaryllis loves light! A sunny windowsill with bright, indirect sunlight is perfect.
- Water: Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Water it when the top inch feels dry, but don’t let it sit in water.
- Temperature: 15-21°C (60-70°F) is ideal, with cooler nighttime temperatures helping the flowers last longer.
- Care Tip: Once blooming is done, snip off the flower stalks but leave the leaves. Keep it in a sunny spot, water it regularly, and by next year, it might just bloom again!
- How to Mix It In: Once your amaryllis blooms, it can easily become a focal point. Pop it into a decorative pot or urn and let those dramatic flowers shine! After the flowers fade, its long green leaves can hang out with your other tropicals, like snake plants or monstera. The key is to give it a prominent spot when blooming, then let it fade into the background with other greenery post-bloom.
- Decor Pairing Ideas: Pair with simple, earthy decor like terracotta or neutral ceramics to keep the focus on the bright bloom.
Christmas Cactus
Low-maintenance and pops with colour when it blooms!
- Light: Bright, indirect light works best. Avoid direct sunlight, which can scorch its leaves.
- Water: Keep the soil slightly moist. Water thoroughly when the top half-inch of soil feels dry, and let excess water drain out.
- Temperature: Aim for 15-21°C (60-70°F). Avoid extreme temperature changes, as this can cause the buds to drop.
- Care Tip: Christmas cactus loves a bit of humidity, so mist it occasionally or place it on a pebble tray. And remember, this cactus is a bit finicky about being moved while it’s budding—keep it in one spot, and it’ll reward you with lots of flowers.
- How to Mix It In: Christmas cacti look gorgeous cascading from a hanging planter or set on a plant stand where their blooms can drape gracefully. Once they stop flowering, their flat, segmented stems blend in easily with other succulents or trailing plants like pothos or ivy. Their simple shape and soft green colour make them a versatile year-round companion.
- Decor Pairing Ideas: Mix it in with other trailing plants, or place it on a shelf alongside small decorative objects or books. Its subtle texture adds softness to more structured decor.
Paperwhites
Delicate white blooms and a signature scent make these a holiday classic!
- Light: Bright, indirect light is best. A south-facing window works well.
- Water: Keep the soil consistently moist, but avoid overwatering. Paperwhites are grown in shallow containers, so a bit of water daily or every other day should do the trick.
- Temperature: 15-18°C (60-65°F) will help them grow slowly, making the blooms last longer.
- Care Tip: Plant the bulbs in a shallow dish with pebbles, allowing the roots to anchor around the stones. If they get leggy, add a bit of vodka to the water (yes, really!). A mix of 1 part vodka to 10 parts water can help slow growth and keep the stems sturdier.
- How to Mix It In: Paperwhites, with their tall, slender stems and fragrant blooms, look stunning on windowsills or in clusters on a dining table. Once they’ve bloomed, the green stalks provide a simple, minimalist vibe that pairs beautifully with other houseplants. Think of them as temporary guests—perfect for special decor moments but not necessarily long-term additions.
- Decor Pairing Ideas: Place them in tall, elegant vases or cluster several in glass containers filled with decorative stones or moss. After blooming, let their leaves gradually yellow before composting them.
Norfolk Island Pine
The perfect mini Christmas tree, and it’s here to stay!
- Light: Bright, indirect light is best. Too much shade will cause it to grow unevenly.
- Water: Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Let the top inch of soil dry out before watering again.
- Temperature: A steady range of 16-24°C (60-75°F) is perfect. Keep it away from drafts or heating vents, which can dry it out.
- Care Tip: Norfolk Pines enjoy humidity. Mist regularly or place a humidifier nearby. After the holidays, it’ll make a beautiful indoor tree all year round!
- How to Mix It In: The Norfolk Island Pine looks great long after the holidays. Keep it near bright light, and it’ll settle into your space like a natural indoor tree. Once the ornaments are packed away, you can put it in a woven basket for a relaxed, coastal vibe or keep it in a modern planter for a more contemporary feel. It pairs beautifully with other tropicals like fiddle leaf figs, palms, or monstera.
- Decor Pairing Ideas: Elevate it with a decorative plant stand or place it in a boho basket. It can even serve as a living room focal point or accent a bright corner.
Kalanchoe
Known for their colourful blooms and ease of care, kalanchoes are a low-maintenance holiday plant!
- Light: Bright, indirect light is best. They can handle some direct light, too.
- Water: Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. They’re succulents, so they don’t need as much water.
- Temperature: 15-29°C (60-85°F) is ideal. Keep away from cold drafts or excessive heat.
- Care Tip: Kalanchoes can bloom again if you reduce the light they receive to about 8-10 hours a day, which tricks them into thinking it’s winter. Just keep it dark for the rest of the day for a few weeks.
- How to Mix It In: The bold, colourful blooms of kalanchoe add a festive punch, but once they fade, this succulent can slide right into your regular plant lineup. Pair it with other succulents like jade plants or echeveria for a tidy, drought-resistant display. Its compact shape makes it perfect for window sills, desks, or grouped with other low-water plants.
- Decor Pairing Ideas: Place it in a geometric pot or a sleek, minimal planter for a modern look. Kalanchoe pairs well with small indoor cacti or as a pop of colour on a side table.
Stephanotis (Madagascar Jasmine)
With fragrant, white, star-shaped flowers, this plant brings a lovely aroma to your home.
- Light: Bright, indirect light works best.
- Water: Keep the soil evenly moist but not wet. Water when the top inch feels dry.
- Temperature: A cozy range of 18-27°C (65-80°F) will keep it happy, but it does prefer cooler nights.
- Care Tip: Stephanotis loves humidity, so mist it regularly. If it’s not blooming, make sure it’s getting enough light, but not direct sunlight, which can burn its leaves.
- How to Mix It In: Stephanotis brings a romantic feel to your space, especially with its soft, trailing vines. After its holiday bloom, train its vines around a wire hoop or let them cascade off a shelf. It pairs well with other vining plants like philodendrons or heart-leaf hoyas.
- Decor Pairing Ideas: Stephanotis loves humidity, so it’s perfect in a bathroom or kitchen. Place it in a decorative hanging planter or train it around a window for a whimsical touch.
Poinsettia
No holiday is complete without this classic red-and-green beauty!
- Light: Poinsettias need about 6 hours of bright, indirect light daily.
- Water: Water when the soil is dry to the touch, but make sure there’s no standing water in the pot.
- Temperature: 18-21°C (65-70°F) is ideal, with slightly cooler temperatures at night.
- Care Tip: Keep poinsettias away from drafts and drastic temperature changes. After the holiday season, you can try to coax it into blooming again next year, but it’s a labour of love!
- How to Mix It In: Poinsettias are undeniably festive, but they can stick around longer than the holidays. To blend them in, choose a neutral or modern pot and place them near other houseplants with large, bold leaves, such as rubber plants or ZZ plants. Once their colour fades, treat them like any leafy green houseplant—they’ll work nicely with your other indoor greenery.
- Decor Pairing Ideas: Place poinsettias in baskets or neutral-coloured ceramic planters to tone down their holiday vibe. Group them with other houseplants in a cozy nook.
Frosty Fern
A frosty touch with a delicate look!
- Light: Bright, indirect light is ideal. Avoid direct sunlight, which can damage it.
- Water: Keep the soil consistently moist, but not soggy.
- Temperature: 15-21°C (60-70°F) is ideal. It loves cooler temperatures and high humidity.
- Care Tip: Place the frosty fern in a humid environment, such as a bathroom or kitchen, or use a humidity tray. Misting also helps keep it looking fresh.
- How to Mix It In: With its snowy tips, frosty fern feels like it came straight out of a winter wonderland. It loves humid environments, so place it near your moisture-loving plants, like ferns, calatheas, or peace lilies. The frosty look gives a nice contrast to deep greens, adding texture and variety to your plant displays.
- Decor Pairing Ideas: Combine it with silver accents or frosted glass containers to enhance its icy aesthetic. It also works well in a terrarium or small planter grouped with moss.
Cyclamen
Pretty pops of colour with a cool-weather love!
- Light: Bright, indirect light is best.
- Water: Water from the base by placing the pot in a shallow dish of water, letting the roots soak up the moisture. Avoid watering directly from the top, which can rot the tuber.
- Temperature: 10-18°C (50-65°F). Cyclamen prefer cooler temperatures, so keep it away from heaters.
- Care Tip: Cyclamen go dormant after they bloom. If you want it to bloom again, let the plant rest in a cool, dry spot after it loses its leaves, and start watering again in the fall.
- How to Mix It In: Cyclamen can last through the winter, brightening up your home during the darker months. Once it’s done blooming, its heart-shaped leaves still look charming. Pair it with houseplants that like cooler temps, like ferns or spider plants, for a coordinated indoor garden.
- Decor Pairing Ideas: Set cyclamen in a ceramic pot and pair it with more structured plants for contrast. Add it to a windowsill garden with leafy houseplants for a mix of textures and colours.
Blending Holiday Plants with Your Regular Houseplants
Holiday plants don’t have to feel temporary. When you choose the right pots, pair them with your existing houseplants, and give them prime real estate in your home, they’ll transition from seasonal decor to year-round indoor companions.
Create Layers:
Mix tall, dramatic plants like amaryllis with shorter, bushy plants like kalanchoe for a tiered, visually interesting arrangement.
Play with Textures:
Combining the smooth leaves of poinsettia with the delicate vines of stephanotis or the frosty tips of ferns can give a layered, thoughtful look.
Rotate Out Seasonal Blooms:
When something finishes blooming, don’t be afraid to move it to a less prominent spot to give your other houseplants a chance to shine. Seasonal plants can be the star for a while but also work as supporting players in your decor.
By mixing your holiday plants with your everyday houseplants, you’ll create a harmonious, lively space that keeps the festive spirit alive long after the season ends.
So, there you have it, with these tips, you’ll keep your holiday plants happy, healthy, and looking fabulous all season long! And who knows? With a bit of care, these plants might just become permanent members of your indoor garden.
Happy holidays & happy gardening! 🎄