Holiday plant arrangement--Use what's in your garden!

Holiday plant arrangement cut fresh from the garden in Southern CA

If you're fortunate enough to live in a climate which doesn't freeze during the Winter and in which you can grow semi-tropical plants, then you're able to cut some living floral arrangements for special occasions and holidays. Even if you don't live in such a climate, it's still possible create a nice piece which reflects your regional plant palette.

Since the traditional Winter holidays are usually associated with greens, reds and whites, I decided to use those basic colors and variations on them in the arrangement. With color as the basis for the plant collection, off I went, into the garden with my trusty pruners to do some selective trimming.

Since I didn't have access to the traditional holly berries, instead I used the red berries of  Nandina domestica or Heavenly Bamboo, labelled below.  In order to get the white in, the variegation of the Ficus benjamina or commonly known as Weeping Banyan.  The lacy effect of the green-leafed Woodwardia fern gives the composition some upward height and keeps it feeling airy and not too 'heavy".

For a little interest and plant geekiness, in went the Breynia nivosa [please excuse the incorrect spelling annotation in the pic] or Snow bush.  A couple of cool attributes of this plant are the white/green/pinkish-red leaves and the red stems, thus its inclusion in the mix.

There's one other plant hiding in the arrangement and there's extra kudos-credit to anyone who finds it and comments on it and its name.  What are some of your favorite arrangements holiday arrangements?

ENIMAGE13565622629101.jpg, a photo by hortbirder on Flickr.