How Can I Decorate My Garden for Winter?

It is easy to have your garden look great in the summer, with everything in bloom. But in winter it can be a little more challenging. Trust me, there really is a lot that you can do to make it look good in the wintertime.

Here I will give you some idea on what you can do to create a nice garden or yard for the winter. I will also add some ideas on, how to add just a few things to dress it up for the holidays.

To begin with, an old chair in your garden, yard or on a porch can add some interest. You can put a bucket of pinecones, birdhouse or even an enamel bowl with some bird seed on the seat. For the holidays all you need to do is add a large red bow to the chair.

A birdbath filled with grapevines or evergreen branches, with some white lights looks good in the garden for winter. For the holidays add some red apples, pomegranates or berry branches.

A wheelbarrow with some evergreens in it can be put just about any place in your yard or garden. You can add a snowman in it for the winter and for the holidays you could put in some presents made out of boxes, covered with pieces of a vinyl tablecloth (you can purchase at the dollar bill store) and a bow. You could also add a string of red lights.

Set and hang some bird houses out. In the winter an assortment of colors is nice, against the white of the snow. (If you're lucky enough to have it) For the holidays some red cardinals would look cute sitting on the perch of each birdhouse.

An old shovel with some grapevine wrapped around the handle looks good by your back door in the winter, or you could set it up against a tree. For the holidays add a string of lights and a big red bow. If you're artist you could paint a winter or Christmas scene on the shovel.

Take a red wagon and put it out in the garden filled with white birch logs, or any logs you can get. For the holidays all you need is to take some wide ribbon and wrap it around the logs and make a large bow to tie on top.

Put some sand in a pail or old sap bucket. Take some evergreen branches and stick them in to the sand. They can be set anywhere. For the holidays you can spray them silver or gold and add some tiny bows on to the branches.

A bench painted red, green or blue will add some color to your garden. For the winter you can set a large birdfeeder on it, to keep our feathered friends fed. For the holidays add some evergreens and a string of white lights around the bench.

Set out an old sled in the garden or by your back door. Drape over a pair of white ice skates that have been tied together with the laces. For the holidays just and a big red bow on the top of the sled.

If you're lucky enough to have an old set of snowshoes or skis, crisscross and tie them together. Hang them on the front or back door. If you have a shed, they would look cute on the door of it. For the holidays add a nice bow and shine a spot light on the arrangement.

Take a wooden crate and put it out in the garden. Add some evergreen or sprayed tree branches. Put on a string of lights. For the holidays time you could tie on some little Santa's, snowmen or angels.

You can take an old panel window frame and put it up on the side of a shed or hang it next to your back door. Add a set of lights, and hang a snow flake from each frame. For the holidays wrap some garland around the frame with the lights. Tie some little bows on the garland.

Make a snowman out of a large white kitchen trash bag. Fill it with poly fiberfill and tie a scarf around the neck area to make a head and body. Put a hat on the snowman's head. With permanent markers draw on a face on the head and some buttons on the body. Set him in a bushel basket, tub or whiskey barrel. Set this in your garden or on a porch. For the holidays add some evergreens and a string of colored lights around the basket.

Set a wooden or metal gate in your garden. Add a welcome winter sign or wrap a few garden tools together with some wire and put some raffia around them to cover the wire. For the holidays drape some garland along the gate, add a string of lights.

If you have a glass greenhouse, it is great for setting up some winter scenes. For the holidays you can put in trees, snowmen, Santa's, deer, poinsettias, lights and garlands.

The sky's the limit.

You can take any of these items and set them out in your garden for a little added interest for the winter. Watering cans, milk cans, a bucket of snowballs (you can make some from styrofoam balls, if there is no real snow), a small picket fence with some mittens put on top of each picket, a wooden barrel filled with pinecones.

Let your imagination run wild. You'll be surprised how easy it can be to have a great looking garden in the winter. It's easy to change the winter into Christmas, which also makes it easy to take down after the holidays.