Christmas Topiary - Chelsea Flowers

Think Green for Christmas

For many, one of the best parts of Christmas is picking out and decorating a tree. While it is a popular tradition, it is not necessarily the best choice, especially if you are trying to preserve the environment. Instead of cutting down a tree every year, some families are creating Christmas topiaries instead. Topiaries are not only better for the environment, but they are fun to create and have many more options than traditional Christmas trees.

What are Topiaries?

Topiaries are not a specific type of plant. Instead, they are unique sculptures made out of small shrubs, herbs, vines, and in some cases, trees. The most common shrubs used in topiaries are evergreen, cypress, yew, and holly. Topiaries are normally grown and maintained outdoors, but you can grow or temporarily transport a topiary inside. Taking care of the topiary is similar to any other plant. They require water and sunlight, as well as healthy soil. If you do not have direct sunlight for your topiary, you can use artificial lighting.

Creative Expression

One of the biggest benefits of topiaries is the ability to create whatever shapes you want. This is especially helpful if you live in a smaller home and have limited space to set up Christmas decorations. Because you control the size, it is also easy to create multiple topiaries for your household, allowing everyone to decorate the house in whatever way they want.

If you are uncomfortable making your own topiary or have a particularly elaborate design in mind, there are many businesses that offer specialized topiaries. If you are busy, you can also purchase decorated Christmas-themed topiaries.

Longevity

Another one of the benefits topiaries have over Christmas trees is longevity. Christmas trees often last for four to five weeks, depending on the quality of the tree and how well you care for it. Even if you take excellent care of your tree, it still creates a mess throughout the house when the pines fall. In comparison, topiaries last several months. Once Christmas is over, you can plant your topiary outside of your home. This is also much more environmentally friendly compared to cutting down a Christmas tree, which ends up getting thrown out after the holiday season.

Because you can plant your topiary after Christmas, it also allows you to keep adding decorations in future years. Many families surround their homes in topiaries, decorating each plant every Christmas. It is not only a fun tradition but a great way to brighten up your home during the holidays. You can also theme your topiaries depending on the time of year, making it an excellent decoration for other holidays.

Benefits of Planting a Topiary

Even outside of the holidays, topiaries are a great way to enhance your house. Topiaries give homes a sophisticated look. There are also practical benefits. Topiaries reduce the amount of water runoff after a storm. This decreases pollution and erosion, which overall reduces the chance of your home flooding. Having more plants around your home also results in more carbon dioxide being absorbed and cleaner air production.