Deck the halls with tropical flair

As holiday traditions repeat each season, people drag boxes of plastic decorations down attic stairs, and they scour local stores for chotchkes to give as hostess gifts at parties. “Gifting and decorating with bright exotic houseplants is a way to be organic and set new traditions this holiday,” says Ilma Bartha, co-owner of Silver Vase, Inc., a national grower of high-quality orchids and bromeliads.

Gift-giving has long been an honored practice during the holidays, a special way to show appreciation for family members, friends and others. However, gifting at the holidays has lost some of its appeal. From the re-gifting trend to a common one-gift-fits-all mentality, bestowing holiday presents on one another stands a chance for a more imaginative approach. 

“Give hostess gifts that are both beautiful and practical,” says Bartha. “Instead of another fruit cake or bottle of wine she probably doesn’t need, consider giving the hostess of the next party you attend a cheery red orchid in a shimmering ceramic container.” Silver Vase, Inc. specializes in gift-quality orchids like the fuchsia-red Phalaenopsis Orchid ‘Star Dust’ and maroon-red ‘Destiny’.

Another living gift idea sure to turn heads is an avant garde and extraordinary plant such as Guzmania Bromeliad ‘Marjan’. It boasts gold-yellow blooms that shoot out from the plant’s center and look as if ablaze. In a white container, this gift blends holiday colors and provides the party-giver a ready-made centerpiece. “Miniature ornaments can be added to the plant for extra holiday charm, and later substituted with others for New Year’s and Valentine’s Day,” says Bartha.

Decorating interiors for the holidays has been a tradition since colonial days. Though, when it comes to creative ideas, many are left wondering how to arrange the season’s décor items to imbue festive ambience. With imagination and a fresh perspective, it is simple to decorate for the holidays in a unique fashion.

Holiday decorating with live plants and greenery is a symbol of everlasting life and rejuvenation of the coming spring. Starting with centerpiece placements of plants, berries, pinecones, magnolia leaves and pineapples provides a foundation for holiday décor. Adding scented materials like lavender, boxwood and fir cuttings appeals to the senses.

Rather than the usual use of poinsettias, which can be short-lived, try placing bright orchids like Phalaenopsis Orchid ‘Ruby Red,’ the only true red orchid, on mantels, beside doorways, and around the tree. Disease-free orchids in superior condition, like those from Silver Vase, Inc. and its European breeder Floricultura, will bloom throughout the holiday season and into spring. “Orchids add natural beauty to holiday décor and can flower up to four months, making them a nice alternative to more common holiday interior plants,” says Bartha.

Make an instant impact by creating an arrangement featuring a classic white orchid such as Phalaenopsis Orchid ‘Alabaster’ and a bold red bromeliad like Guzmania Bromeliad ‘Luna’. The bloom colors will offer a distinctive traditional quality, yet cheer the room with a sense of the tropics. “Adorn the arrangement with gold-painted pinecones, faux birds and red berries,” suggests Bartha. “For a finishing touch, it can be draped with moss to soften the appearance.”

No matter what the style and theme of the room, even austere decorations can be easily dressed with cuttings from the yard or local flower shops. Place evergreen cuttings and berries around candle bases or in bowls filled with glass ball ornaments. Fill clear vases with dried cranberries and arrange sprigs of grape vine or juniper in them. Whether decorating with houseplants and greenery or giving them as gifts, the possibilities are endless this season. To learn more, log onto http://www.silvervase.com.

Courtesy of Family Features. Source: Silver Vase, Inc. Photo courtesy of Silver Vase, Inc.