Planting Edmonds is a monthly column by and for local gardeners

I love evergreens. They are magical outdoors, especially in the dark rainy weather. Indoors they are beautiful, fragrant and long-lasting.

Their unique texture and colors add interest in the garden, particularly when other plants are dormant. Beyond their interest they can provide shelter, winter flowers and edible berries, making them beneficial for wildlife and pollinators.

Evergreens are wonderful in so many ways: many are drought tolerant once established, they thrive in the Pacific Northwest’s wet winters and dry summers, they require less maintenance than other plants, they come in many different shapes and sizes, and they have visual appeal and interest in all seasons.

Three of the all-season plants I like to grow are red twig dogwoods, incense cedar and gold thread cypress.

Red twig dogwoods are beautiful in every season, as illustrated above. They are great in winter arrangements and sometimes will root in water. I’ve been planting them to shade a creek we are restoring in our neighborhood. They are not evergreen, but they’re just as useful in arrangements. There are several varieties with different-colored stems and even some dwarf varieties for the small garden.

Incense cedar looks great in the landscape. I enjoy the bark and foliage. It is wonderfully fragrant and hangs beautifully in an arrangement.

Gold thread cypress is a bright spot in the garden and an amazing addition to any winter arrangement.

Every year, a group of women I know in Woodinville gather evergreens and make holiday decorations. We make wreaths, swags and arrangements, adding candles, fruits, nuts and ornaments. Some are very traditional, some whimsical. We listen to Christmas tunes, have snacks and share cuttings from the trees in our gardens. It’s one of my favorite holiday traditions with my friends.

Visit the nurseries for inspiration

I especially like using evergreens in flower arrangements for the holidays. The nurseries this time of year are full of beautiful and festive holiday inspiration.

Here are some indoor ideas I saw at various nurseries:

From Ravenna Gardens: Take a paperwhite bulb and place in a clear vase lined with small gravel. Add some water and greens, berries or other decorative items. Add a ribbon and it becomes a lovely gift.

At Countryside Floral in Issaquah, owner Jon Throne grows his own greens and materials on his flower and animal farm. They have a lovely small gift shop where you can get inspired or discover some clever ideas. I visited a new nursery recently called Watson’s Garden Center in Puyallup. They had fun containers and great gift and decorating ideas. A small cafe too.

Another fun visit was to McAuliffe’s Valley Nursery in Snohomish. They have three gift rooms and a large selection of evergreen trees and shrubs.

Closer to home, there is a fun new garden center in Edmonds called Northwest Garden and Stone. Nearby, Sky Nursery and Swansons are full of wonderful ideas. I took the ferry to Whidbey Island the other day to visit Bayview Garden in Langley, where the gift shop is huge and full of unique things. Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville has a lot of evergreens as well.

Want some ideas for outdoor decorating? Start with a simple swag and add a bow from the dollar store.

The swag on the left greets guests on my front porch and lasts for weeks. In the middle, even the birds enjoy the season. On the right, our postal carriers say they love delivering to this box. These swags all use the same principle. Tie the boughs together with wire, starting on the ends and working your way to the middle.

These suet ornaments are tied with twine. Simple and easy. You can buy or make your ornaments. The meat department at the grocery store sells suet, and there are lots of recipes online.

Wreaths are for sale everywhere and are also fun to make or you can buy a plain one and dress it up. So many possibilities. Floretum Garden Club just had their wreath sale and so many beautiful wreaths are made by members with foliage and greens from their yards.

These hanging baskets are available at some hardware stores and would be easy enough to make yourself.

Whimsey works

Decorating statuary is a fun idea. You can put Santa hats or cedar boughs on statues. This young lady is wearing an evergreen crown and nothing else. The flamingo is unexpected, and who doesn’t like decorating toy cars?

Is this snowman about to lose his head? The candle and the amaryllis give him gravitas.

Outside in

One of the things I enjoy doing this time of year – and every season — is to bring the outdoors inside.

A vignette like the one on the left is elegant as well as simple. The mantle is a perfect frame for greenery, such as this pine with ribbon and glass ornaments. It provides texture and a wonderful scent.

Dress up your dining table with branches from trees twisted with evergreens and glass ornaments, or this elegant display of greens, flowers, pinecones and candles with a string of fairy lights (available at craft stores). This makes for a lovely setting.

There are many ways to decorate your home with branches, greens and pinecones, even to display a collection in a nice bowl. This bowl would provide texture and fragrance in a room.

Lastly, this stunning entryway is easier to create than it looks. All you need is a spring-style curtain rod and some cedar or incense cedar to make your garland. I made one last year and the fragrance was wonderful when you walked under it. It had a string of white pinecone lights and real pinecones tied in. You can embellish further with snowflakes, icicles or favorite ornaments.

Wrap the evergreens with green twine or wire and move the rod up the wall. It’s a beautiful way to spruce up an entryway!

Enjoy this winter full of magic and wonder.  I hope you find something that brings you joy — whether you buy it at a nursery or make it yourself.

Happy holidays!

— By Val Taylor

Val Taylor had her first garden when she was 11 years old. She grew up in the Skagit Valley and spent a lot of time working with fruits, vegetables and bulbs on local farms. After college, career and small kids, she attended the master gardening program in Seattle and volunteered for several years. She now belongs to many different Northwest gardening organizations. She is passionate about gardening and enjoys sharing.