Winter can be a real drag, which is why we highly recommend making the most of the holiday season. Not only is it an opportunity to spend time with those who matter the most to us, but it’s also a time to get into the fun giving, receiving, and, yes, decorating. Dragging out boxes of lights, bulbs, ribbons and garlands can seem to be just not worth the effort as we’re all mostly just concentrating on surviving the shortest days of the year together, but we all know how nice it is once everything is put into place. Homes and businesses seem just a little more special during the holiday season.
Outdoor decorating can be just as satisfying as indoor decorating, and also make a memorable impact for your home or business. Plus, since we spend most of the year outside, we get to enjoy it, too.
Winter Holiday Planters
Winter planters can last a surprisingly long time in Calgary with the proper care and attention. Outdoor decorating can be alive and green, and make a real statement for those entering your home or business.
Some choose to make their own outdoor planters, others choose to purchase them pre-made. They are commonly crafted with some form of “evergreen,” meaning fluffy juniper branches (which are nice and easy to bend to your will), and boughs of spruce or fir trees. Boxwood and holly also work well. The planters can then be adorned with bright berries, acorns, bulbs, and vibrant ribbons. Some even paint twigs different colours such as white and gold to add a different kind of look, and then cut branches of trees with interesting bark such as birch can add height and dimension.
Winter planter care includes watering well before placing them outside, and spraying them with water regularly to keep the green colour frozen in. To make them last as long as possible, bring them inside at night and keep them in when it is especially cold out.
Potted Spruce Trees
There is nothing more cute than a little baby spruce dressed up in lights and adorned with bulbs and bows. Potted spruce trees are a nice way to dress up your outdoor space without having to put in too much effort. You will need to keep them watered and take care to not let them freeze, which means bringing them inside when the temperatures are consistently below zero during the day and at night. You don’t want the soil to freeze, as this will jeopardize the plants’ tender root systems. The best part about using baby spruce trees as outdoor decorations in the winter is that they can be planted in your yard (or someone else’s) come spring.
Light Up Your Landscaping and Your Home
A home or business draped in lights in the winter is always inviting and attractive. There are lots of great options available these days for outdoor decorating that make it easier than ever to illuminate your property. When we string lights for our clients, we prefer to use LED bulbs, as these are known to last at least 20 times longer and use 90% less energy. Yes, the cost is slightly more expensive up front, but their high efficiency will save you in the long run. In addition, LED bulbs are better able to handle the extreme changes in temperature that Calgary regularly sees.
When purchasing lights for outdoor decorating, if they are not LED make very sure that they are for outdoor use. Indoor lights are not built for the cold or wet, which means they will break easily, burn out faster, and even be a fire hazard.
Different types of outdoor lights include:
- Strings of lights, which are the most common and what most of us think of when it comes to outdoor lights. These are very versatile, and can be hung on your home’s façade, wrapped around trees, and be used to accent railings.
- Icicle lights consist of hanging strings of bulbs (usually six), and actually do mimic the look of icicles. These are very pretty when highlighting features of your homes such as eaves, peaks, and balconies – anything high up.
- Rope lights have bulbs placed inside a transparent plastic “rope,” which makes them a little bit easier to wrap than traditional string lights. They also provide 360-degrees of light, which makes them perfect for adorning the trunks of trees.
- Net lights make it a lot easier to decorate shrubbery or small trees. They are literally put together as a net so all you have to do is throw them over your shrubs and you will get the expert look of carefully placed bulbs.
- Projection lights are becoming more and more common. You can design your own light show on the side of your home with relative ease. Flash snowflakes, kaleidoscopes, make it look like there is an otherworldly light shower, or combine all three in several different colours. Many are LED, as well, so they are tough, long-lasting, and cost efficient.
Outdoor Decorating Looks Best With Good Snow Removal
It goes without saying that if you’re going to put in the time and effort to decorate your property, in order to draw attention to your efforts there should be no distractions in the way of messy sidewalks, pathways, driveways, and parking lots. We can assist with keeping the look of your property clean and pristine over the winter with our residential and commercial snow removal services. This not only assists in keeping your visitors (and you) safe from slips and falls, but also leave you free to truly enjoy the time you have. Contact us for a free quote on your snow removal job. We are more than happy to help.