Creating an inviting approach is a wonderful way to welcome guests to our houses at Christmas – and great for us to come home to too! And with just a little effort, the foundations we put in place for the festive season can form the basis of a design which can be enjoyed all year.

Regardless of the size of your budget or the area that you have to work with, it’s easy to create instant impact and kerb appeal that will be the envy of friends and family. All you need is pots and containers, considered plant choices and clever lighting – and if you need a little creative assistance, check out our ideas!

Pots and Containers

Placed either side of the front door, either individually or in creative groups, pots and containers can be used extremely effectively to provide either a formal or informal symmetry to frame your entrance.

Consider the materials available and choose something to complement your house and your style, for example terracotta can provide a natural look, sleek black gives a contemporary look and earthenware provides a traditional look.

Choose your pot and container colours carefully, and either select complementary colours which work with your house and the surroundings, or contrasting colours to make a bolder statement.

Consider the shape, size and height of your pots and containers too, because these aspects add their own impact while also offering the potential to display plants at differing levels.

Plants

Once you’ve chosen your pots and containers, the next step is to decide what effect you would like to achieve with your plants. You can approach this in much the same way as you would planting any other container, and decide which elements you would like to incorporate. For example…

• For a formal look, choose specimen shrubs such as Acer Palmatum (Japanese maple) or Camellia, carefully clipped topiary such as a box ball or spiral, or small trees such as olive or bay.

• For long-lasting interest, choose a combination of evergreens (such as ivy and winter-flowering heathers), bulbs (such as narcissi and tulips) and perennials (such as geranium and dianthus) – or feel free to devise your own creation using your personal plant favourites.

• For colour, choose complementary or contrasting shades, again using personal favourites, or if you need some help click here to check out just one idea for 100 days of winter colour!

• For scent, you can’t go wrong with a wonderful waft of jasmine or lavender in full flower as you pass through.

And don’t forget that it’s easy to add height too using climbing plants such as clematis and honeysuckle, with additional architecture provided by plant supports.

As with all container and pot planting, be sure to use suitable compost and remember to top dress and/or feed as appropriate.

And finally of course the real beauty with pots and containers is that they are truly portable, offering the chance to change your display and look whenever the mood takes you!

Lighting

Regardless of the time of year, the magic sparkle of outdoor lighting never fails to create a welcoming atmosphere – and dressing your pot and container plants with gorgeous, subtle lighting can be used to great effect.

Remember to consider if you’ll need access to mains power, or whether battery or solar power is your preferred option. And then of course there’s colour – choose classic warm white or go for vibrant colour if you’d like to achieve a bolder look.

And don’t forget your door!

Your front door offers another great opportunity to add just a little more appeal – which you can refresh with the seasons to change your look – festive wreaths are a great example!

These are just a few suggestions, you can of course use your own ideas to best suite your surroundings, style, plant and lighting tastes to create your own stunning welcome – and we’re here to help you achieve it!

Find everything you need – plants, pots, containers and lighting – plus our friendly, expert advice of course – in-store NOW!