Winter Holiday Ideas

Looking for something new to do this winter holiday season? Time at home for the holidays can be a true celebration of home and family, creating new traditions and making memories to enjoy all year round.

Time at Home for the Holidays

Time at home for the holidays means more time to relax and the ease of changing your plans for whatever strikes your festive fancy. When you stay home, you can sleep in or stay up late without worrying about missing a tour or activity, and you can be more flexible with all your seasonal fun. This is especially important, as you will soon discover there is so much to do during the winter.

Ideas for Your Holiday Staycation

There are many fun and festive options to enjoy at home for a happy holistay, using your landscape, lawn, and garden to add to the excitement. Whether you choose just one activity as a focal point of your holiday or plan different options every day, you can make great memories and enjoy time with all your loved ones.

• Decorate a Tree for Birds and Wildlife
  Invite your local wildlife to the holiday festivities with a deliciously decorated tree. Use softened suet or peanut butter to coat pinecones and roll them in seed for feeder ornaments, or use fishing line or sturdy thread to create cranberry and popcorn strings as edible garlands. Use floral wire or ribbons to hold twigs into star or tree shapes for extra beauty on the tree, and fasten small ribbons or burlap bows to the tips of branches to catch birds’ eyes and attract them to the bounty.
• Enjoy a Gourmet S’mores Night
  Clean off your firepit and get ready for holiday decadence with a gourmet s’mores night. Choose different graham crackers or other cookies for a base and opt for different chocolate bars — dark chocolate raspberry, white chocolate peppermint, sea salt, caramel, etc. — to experiment with rich and delicious flavors.
• Host a Neighborhood Bonfire
  Create a larger festive gathering with a neighborhood bonfire in a portable fire pit in your driveway or front yard (safely, of course!). Consider a potluck-style gathering with everyone bringing their favorite holiday treats, or provide hot drinks for everyone to enjoy. Outdoor games such as cornhole can easily be added to the fun for a bit of friendly competition.
• Get Started With Indoor Gardening
  Even if the weather outside is frightful, you can have a delightful time with indoor holiday gardening. Pot amaryllis bulbs, paperwhites, or Christmas cacti to use as seasonal decorations or gifts. You can even add a tropical touch to your indoor landscaping with a potted lemon tree, palm, or other greenhouse favorites.
• Take a Class
  Investigate winter classes hosted by your local arboretum, botanical garden, or our garden center. Classes may be online or in person. Many popular winter options may be available, such as garden-inspired crafts, wreath making, winterizing your landscape, how to start an indoor herb garden, terrarium-making classes, painting clay pots, or overviews on succulents, bulbs, seed starting, and other fun and informative topics. Some may be geared to children, some for adults, and some may be fun for the entire family.
• Get Inspired
  Another day out can be just visiting a local garden center, botanical garden, or even walking around the neighborhood or a local park to get inspired for your own garden and landscape. Look for plants that offer winter interest or different arrangements, accents, and accessories that can be great to feature in your own yard. If you can’t identify the plants, take pictures so you can seek identification help from our garden center experts.
• Plan for Spring
  Let your imagination sprout when you plan your spring garden during a holiday staycation. Gather books and magazines, visit a range of websites, and draw out the landscape plan of your dreams. Work in different colors, adding plants to showcase during different seasons. Include wildlife-friendly features and practical details such as how to creatively store your garden tools, hoses, and other necessities to make your garden great. You can even start buying seeds, new tools, and accessories to be ready to go as soon as spring begins.

There is a great deal you can do to make the most of a holistay, by embracing what your home offers and getting creative with your holiday activities, you can make many amazing holiday memories. Happy Holidays!