Ever green Christmas...

...And a DIY moss star!!

Bringing evergreens into our homes for Christmas is a tradition that stems back from ancient times...Of course we have the Christmas tree (See my post here to learn a little bit about the history of the Christmas tree), but there are also other greenery that have a history that connects to this seasons holidays...In fact all plants that stayed green throughout the year, like Holly, Mistletoe and Evergreen  was attributed powers against the dark magic of winter, and therefore was brought indoors during the winter celebrations.

I love that this is something we continue to do in modern times, as bringing some greenery in to your decor not only looks pretty, but also lifts the interiors and energizes any room...

So gone are my palms and succulents... And in the last couple of days, I have added an array of more seasonal appropriate plants to my Advent decor: Some more traditional than others. I've also got a bit creative with some of my arrangements and display's, and you will find a mini tutorial at the bottom of this post on how to create a star-shaped moss wreath!

Here's a few pictures from my living room, showing how I've used greenery to decorate for Christmas:

Hyacinths and Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) are amongst other bulbs (like Paper white) that are easy to grow and can be "forced" to bloom just in time for Christmas, making them a perfect choice for advent...like a little calendar waiting to bloom!!

I am no expert on plants, so for more detailed information on "forcing" the bulbs to grow by Christmas, please read the Royal horticultural Society's guide to Bulbs for Christmas flowering...

They can thrive in almost any receptacle of choice, and the main rule is to not over water them...They prefer well drained soil or bulb fibre (available at your local garden centre), You can even place the bulbs in vases, with just the bottom of the bulb touching the water...

I've placed mine in my DIY concrete planter, I originally made to keep succulents in,

I love the way the bulbs stick out of the soil, with the green leaves and buds bursting though the bulb..

My decoration style for Christmas this year is quite simple, and adding some green plants into the mix, has really lifted the look of my living room...

It's all in the simple details, like a few twigs of fragrant Eucalyptus in a wide glass vase on the coffee table...

...And in a tall vase on my bookshelf...

....Some mistletoe in a cloche ...

...makes for an unusual and simple, but pretty display!

The little touches of nature gives the room some life...

Using fragrant plants and herbs like Eucalyptus and Rosemary, also subtly scents your home for the holidays...

I made this simple wreath using sprigs of rosemary and wired them onto an old wire coat hanger, that I bent into a round shape...

Hung near the radiator in the hallway, it releases its lovely scent throughout the day...

(See how I made the concrete stars pictured above here )

Even an nontraditional Olive tree adds to the herb-y scent filling the room, and its silvery green leafs does not look out of place for the season...

Of course a twig of evergreen fir has also been invited in to set the mood for Christmas before the arrival of the tree...

Simply displayed in an old Norwegian jam jar...

And a bit of heather, that has managed to survive the autumn with us , is also allowed to party on with all the evergreens this festive season...

As is a few naked tree branches, decorated with the paper gems I made for Little miss moo's Advent calendar...As she unpacks her daily treat from the paper gems, they get refolded, then hung here....until the Christmas tree arrives!!

Lastly, and continuing on my obsession for stars in this years seasonal decor, I made this star-shaped moss wreath:

Unusual, and lovely....makes a statement on my mantle ...

Here's a quick "how to":

You will need:

Star template (See my post here how to easily make one)

Moss (Go foraging in your own garden, or buy from your local florist)

Florist foam

Wire

Scissors/ cutters

Sharp knife

Draw up your star template onto the florist foam (You may have to wire 2 pieces of foam together to get the right size) Cut out the star shape. Drape the moss over...Make some u-bends out of the wire, and use to pin and secure the moss into the florist foam...

I hope you all feel inspired to bring some green plants into this years Christmas decor... Tinsel and glam is all very nice, but there is something very classy about decorating with plants...and it doesn't have to be old fashioned....with a little imagination Christmas plants can be just the modern touch your holiday interiors was missing...

This is my contribution to the Norwegian Interior Bloggers competition: Decorating with plants for Christmas..

Next week I'll be working on some DIY tree decorations and I am starting to think about gift wrap!!

So stay tuned people...there's plenty more to come before Christmas!!