12 easy ways to liven up your home with annuals and perennials
Love decorating with cut flowers but hate that they don't last? This is the easy, economical solution you've been looking for
Gardening fanatic, Nora Murphy, shares her advice on how to decorate your house with floral greenery without using cut flowers with a short lifespan and high price tag.
The answer is practical, plentiful, economical, and so easy — plus, if you do it right, it will offer a high-impact, wow-worthy effect: Use annuals and perennials. All you need is:
A sturdy container
I'll use anything from antique baskets to earthenware crocks to rustic or painted metal buckets.
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A liner
Recycled plastic containers of all shapes and sizes work, but they're not the only option. I've used aluminum baking pans, even layers of newspaper.
Your plants
Sometimes, they don't even come out of their original pots. So easy!
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Optionally, moss
Half of my garden is covered in moss, so I add tufts for a pro-looking finishing touch. See the note below for tips on gathering and handling moss.
Now, Here are some examples of what you can do:
Annuals
Pop a flat of cosmos or zinnias into a newspaper lined-basket.
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Annuals
Another cheery take on a basket filled with colourful annuals.
Perennials
Here, I tucked multiple catmint plants into a pair of wooden buckets, added the iron topiary frame, and pulled the long flowering stems through.
Perennials
I love its "wild" look.
Shrubs
Drop baby boxwoods into disposable-type loaf pans, two to a pan, and nestle them into a long wooden window box. Fresh green moss ties it all together.
Shrubs
Another take on boxwoods, this time in a basket.
I live by the motto, "Make the most of what you've got." I can grab enough annuals or perennials to set up a dramatic centerpiece for the table; then, as they start to fade, into the garden they go, where they can perk right up again—and, of course, if they're perennials, they'll be back next year.
It's a "designer/decorator" look available to everyone.
Moss 101
If you don't have an endless supply of moss at arm's reach, a walk in the woods can be good for the moss supply as well as the soul; and moss is also available at nurseries and craft stores.
If you buy it, be sure to rehydrate it properly before use. If you're gathering it yourself, lift it up in sheets or tufts and place it in a bucket or pan of cold water to keep it fresh until you're ready to use it, and water your arrangement just before you arrange the moss on top.
In addition to giving your display a polished, professional-looking finish, moss will also help to keep the soil from drying out.
Nora Murphy Country House
Nora Murphy is a former executive for Ethan Allen who now runs Nora Murphy Country House, a lifestyle brand with a website, emagazine, and design services.
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