If you are a landscaping company that offers holiday lighting, that service is likely in full swing right now. But whether you are already offering holiday lighting services or not, one way that you can get your clients into the seasonal spirit is with indoor plant décor. Bozeman, Montana-based Blanchford Landscape Group has had a lot of success with creating interior and exterior plantscape designs for their clients.

Carrie Rule, garden services division manager for Blanchford says that since many of the company’s clients are vacation homeowners in Montana, they want their homes already decorated for the holidays when they come in to stay. She says that live plants help a home to feel warm, welcoming, and festive for the season. Blanchford uses a lot of live garlands decorated with pine cones, berries, and other decorations.

“I also use greenery in vases which I will strategically place around the home for some color and some fragrance,” Rule adds. “So often we think of arrangements being about flowers. But you don’t need fresh flowers to create living plant decor. Fresh cut greens are really effective.” 

Red Dogwood and Curly Willow are two nice additions for holiday arrangements, suggests Rule.

Holiday plants to consider

Some poinsettias and live greens finish this holiday look perfectly.Blanchford Landscape Group

In addition to live greens, Rule says that they’ll also bring in some of the typical plants you might think of for a holiday display. These include Poinsettias, Paper Whites, Amaryllis, and Christmas Cactus. Placing these plants in various prominent spots around the home helps to add some cheer.

“I also really like the Norfolk Island Pine, which resembles a small Christmas tree,” Rule adds. “Some homeowners even want this decorated with some ornaments.”

A less-thought-of plant that can add some holiday cheer is the Olive Tree, continues Rule. It is symbolic of peace, which is perfect for the holidays. Another possibility is succulents, which add more “green” to the home, says Rule.

“For our busy clients, succulents are perfect because they really don’t require much care,” Rule says. “This is a great choice for clients to enjoy long beyond the holidays.”

Rule typically adds succulents to large bowls or other decorative containers, helping to make them more like a piece of art that can serve as a decoration on a table or countertop.

Thinking beyond lights

Adding holiday plant décor to your list of services is a simple way to keep your team members busy in the off-season and provide clients with some added value. It’s a service that might appeal to busy residential clients, those who own second homes, or even commercial clients who would like you to decorate an office lobby. Even if you don’t offer holiday lighting services, this is a way to add some holiday cheer to your clients’ lives and make a little extra profit in the process. In the end, it’s a win for all.