Is your Christmas poinsettia starting to fade? You can give past-their-prime holiday plants new life in festive displays that are sure to extend your ’tis-the-season joy! Read on for step-by-step instructions to make the gorgeous arrangements pictured above.
Revive droopy amaryllis with a gilded seasonal display.
“Blooming Christmas plants can continue to have a gorgeous life beyond their plant pots as cut flowers,” says Teresa H. Sabankaya, author of The Posy Book. “Here, amaryllis, which means ‘splendid beauty’ in the language of flowers, are snipped from their drooping stems and supported in a beautiful seasonal bouquet.” To get the look, arrange handfuls of evergreens in a six-inch-tall vase to form a lush base, then tuck in a few green carnation stems, pink roses, and skewered ornaments. Next, snip amaryllis stems from their bulb, fill each hollow stem with water, plug the end with your thumb, and submerge the stem into a water-filled vase to ensure proper hydration, suggests Sabankaya. Replace water every other day and keep away from heat sources.
Prop up hellebores with ornaments and citrus.
“I absolutely love hellebores,” says Sabankaya. “The dainty yet resilient blooms, which signify a beautiful year ahead, bring so much joy as they will continue to thrive in a vase well into the New Year.” For a beautiful “living runner” down the center of a dining table, layer dried orange slices in drinking glasses, then remove the caps from a few extra ornaments, fill with water, and set atop the citrus. Snip hellebore stems from a plant, then add one to each ornament. Arrange finished glasses on a table; replace water as needed.
Perk up poinsettia in a pretty posy pair.
“It’s a great idea to snip your best blooms from a poinsettia plant and pop them in water-filled vessels,” notes Sabankaya. “The perky blooms, which represent good cheer, will last for weeks and will often take root in water.” For a stylish cup of cheer, fill a glass with fragrant mulled cider ingredients (like cinnamon sticks, whole nutmeg and dried orange slices), nestle a water-filled shot glass on top, then pop in a poinsettia bloom; tuck in gold tinsel and tie on ribbon to finish. Note: Wear gloves when handling stems and thoroughly wash hands after with soap and water to prevent skin irritation from the plant’s milky sap.
