The holidays are almost here, and that means it’s time to decorate! No matter what type of decorations you prefer, touches of red and white are a must-have during the holiday season. And what better way to add some pops of seasonal color than with holiday flowers?
We’re going to introduce you to some white and red flowers that you can use to spruce up your home and garden during the holidays. And we’ll also provide some decorating ideas that will add a fun floral flair, both indoors and out.
White and Red Flowers for the Garden
While there are thousands of different red and white flowers you can plant in your garden, the majority of these plants dislike the cold. So if you’re hoping to have flowers blooming around the holidays, you’ll need to put in some work to find plants that can handle the winter temperatures in your area.
If you live in an area where temperatures dip below freezing, you can still add some red and white color to your garden! Pansies can bloom through cold temperatures and even snow, which makes them an easy choice. Since they’re annuals, you’ll need to replant them each year, but the pop of winter color they provide is worth the effort.
Another way you can add a pop of red to your winter garden is with berries! Winterberry is a plant that lives up to its name—when cooler weather arrives, the shrubs are loaded with bright red berries. Not only are the fruits gorgeous, but they also attract hungry birds. Note that you will need both a female and male winterberry plant for the plants to produce fruit.
When it comes to filling your late winter garden with white and red flowers, you’ll have some more options. It may come as a surprise, but there are a handful of plants that bloom in January and February. The appropriately named snowdrops often bloom when snow is still on the ground! Just tuck some bulbs into the soil in the fall, and you’ll be rewarded with tiny, white, bell-shaped blooms come late winter.
Another late winter option is the hellebore, also known as the lenten rose. These flowering plants provide year-round interest thanks to their evergreen leaves. However, the real show occurs in the late winter and/or early spring, when the plants produce delicate flowers that resemble simple roses. The blooms come in a wide variety of colors, including white and deep red.
White and Red Flowers for Holiday Decorations
When it comes to decorating your home for the holidays, red and white is a classic color combination. Fortunately, there are all sorts of red and white flowers that you can use to spruce up your home. One option is to order some bouquets with red flowers as well as white flower bouquets and use these cut flowers throughout your home. You can place them in a single vase on your dining room table, or use single stems to decorate the mantle.
However, cut flowers aren’t your only option! You can also turn to holiday classics like amaryllis and paperwhites. These flowers grow from a bulb, so you can enjoy watching the flowers bloom!
Potted Paperwhites
If you’re looking for a simple yet elegant white flower display for your home, it’s hard to go wrong with paperwhites. Just plant some paperwhite bulbs and then watch as the plants send up long, thin leaves that are topped with small, white flowers. Along with gazing at the beautiful flowers, you’ll also be able to enjoy the blooms’ strong fragrance.
You can plant the bulbs in soil, or in a dish filled with a bit of water. If you opt for the water option, make sure the water is only covering the bottom of the bulbs. No matter which option you choose, you’ll need to plan ahead a bit, since the bulbs bloom four to six weeks after planting.
A Vase of Anemones and Pine
There’s no such thing as holiday decorations without pine! But fragrant pine needles belong on more than just wreaths, trees, and boughs—they also make great additions to Christmas centerpieces and tablescapes!
While many red and white flowers will pair well with sprigs of pine, the delicate petals of red and white anemones contrast well against the pine’s textures. Start with a wide-mouth vase and nestle in a few small pine branches. Once you have a nice base, add in some anemone stems.
Towering Amaryllis
The amaryllis is one of the most iconic holiday flowers. Humans have learned how to force the bulbs into dormancy and encourage them to bloom at any time of the year. That means you can bring an amaryllis bulb into your home in December and watch as it fills your house with colorful blooms a few weeks later.
Amaryllis come in both red and white varieties, as well as a striped variety that resembles a classic candy cane. When it comes to displaying the flowers, we think a simple pot works best. For a beautiful presentation, obtain a handful of small pots and tuck a single amaryllis bulb into each pot. Place the pots on your dining table for an impressive display of towering blooms.
White Poinsettia
When most people think of Christmas flowers, their minds often end up on the poinsettia. Whether you opt for red, white, pink, or cream plants, poinsettias are a sure way to brighten up your home with holiday cheer.
Before we cover how to best decorate these plants, let’s get one thing clear—the white or red ‘flowers’ aren’t flowers at all! Instead, they’re modified leaves known as bracts. These bracts surround the plant’s true flowers, which often go unnoticed.
The best, and most classic, way to decorate with poinsettias is to place them in a beautiful pot and nestle them into corners of your home. Trying placing a large poinsettia on either side of a front door, or lining up multiple small poinsettias on top of the mantle.
Flowers for Christmas Tree Decorations
If there’s one plant that’s synonymous with the holidays, it’s the Christmas tree! Whether you opt for a fragrant balsam fir or an interesting red cedar, decorating your tree provides an opportunity for your creative side to shine. If you’re looking to step away from the traditional round balls or add some floral flair to your tree this year, look to flowers you can use as Christmas tree decorations.
Vase Ornaments
If you want to take your Christmas tree to the next level, you can add some fresh-cut flowers as decorations. How? By utilizing small, hanging vases!
After you’ve filled your vases with water and hung them securely on your tree, it’s time to pick out the flowers they’ll hold. If you’re looking for a classic and elegant display, you can fill them with a mix of red and white roses. And if you’re aiming for something a bit more fun and modern, try red and white mums.
Pops of Poinsettias
Christmas trees and poinsettias are classics, so why not combine the two? While poinsettias can be a bit delicate, you can remove the flowers with the help of a pair of sharp shears. Just snip the stem a few inches below the base of the bloom, and then handle the blooms with care.
After you’ve cut the blooms, fill a small plastic bag with water, place the poinsettia stem in the bag, and secure the bag with a rubber band. This will help keep the poinsettia looking fresh as it sits on your tree. Next, carefully place the blooms on the tree—you can just gently set them on the branches rather than hanging them like other ornaments.
Order Flowers and Start Decorating
With these ideas in hand, all that’s left to do is order some flowers and start decorating! The Bouqs collection of holiday flower bouquets makes it easy to get your hands on beautiful, farm-fresh flowers. Browse through the options, order your favorites, and get ready for a festive, floral-filled holiday!
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