Da red so intense that it creates a beautiful spot of color in the room, Poinsettias are perfect for festive decorations and to start creating the perfect holiday atmosphere. It’s no coincidence that they are protagonists of many decorations scattered around the house and as a centerpiece for end-of-year lunches and dinners. Stars for Europeassociation of European Poinsettia growers supported by the EU program “Stars Unite Europe”, shared some simple but effective ideas for decorating the house during Christmas with these flowers.
Poinsettias, those who already have them at home are happier
In 2017 the English psychologist Steve McKeow, creator of the MindFixers program and owner of the McKeown Clinicon the Unilad website made a very curious statement: «In a world full of stress and anxiety, people love to dedicate themselves to things that make them happy and are more satisfied and Christmas decorations are one of these because they evoke strong feelings linked to childhood».
As the expert continued, beyond any nostalgic, basic explanations hanging Christmas decorations means wanting to experience magic or remedy any negligence made during the year. The decorations are in fact «an anchor or a path to those childhood memories full of magic and excitement. So they’re about the desire to maintain and prolong that emotion.”
Added to this are the Journal of Environmental Psychology, who underlined how a house decorated for the holidays inspires an idea of friendliness and solidarity in the people who see itand the psychologist Deborah Serani who highlighted how taking out trees and balls stimulates dopamine, the hormone of happiness and well-being. In short, decorating the house, even if a little ahead of schedule, doesn’t hurt, on the contrary. And among the unmissable decorations of the season there are certainly Christmas stars.
Poinsettias for holiday decorations: easy ideas
Perfect for creating the right atmosphere, Poinsettias are absolutely versatile plants which can also be used as centrepieces, cut or not. Among the proposals of Stars of Europe there is the Miniature Advent Landscape. It’s a garden in a jar proposes all the typical elements of the season including pine cones, moss, pine twigs, a small deer figurine and, obviously, the Christmas Star. As the experts explain, in this case the pine branches, in addition to being inside the jar, also act as candle holders, which should be chosen thin and tall. To illuminate everything, a string of gold lights.
A simpler idea, however, is that of cut the Stars and use them as decoration for each place. They can be cut with the longer stem and leaves around the flower or without the stem so as to place them on the napkin. Experts recommend also choose white ones, which have a great effect as an alternative to red ones, to be combined with thin moss green candles.
The centerpieces with poinsettias are extremely festive
If you love “important” Christmas centerpieces, these flowers are very suitable: «In this case you need a large container, perfect in wood or another material of your choice, filled with colored poinsettias, even the striped ones are perfect, and candles that create atmosphere inserted in the waterproof clay or in the florist’s sponge placed at the basic. In this case it is essential to insert the flowers later, arranging them all around the candles, so as not to ruin them.”
The perfect match for centerpieces? Alongside intense red, bronze or gold: «The contrast is sparkling. Potted plants can be placed inside an elegant chalice bowl in the center of the table or as cut flowers arranged in flower holders perhaps in the shape of an apple or pomegranate to be used as a placeholder. The additional idea? Use poinsettias in combination with other varieties, for example fresh winterberry or branches of greenery, for an even richer and more festive effect” conclude the experts.
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