With Christmas just around the corner, it is time to dress up your house with holiday cheer.

There are so many things that you can use to create joyous and festive feeling. For inside your home, start with a Christmas tree full of lights and ornaments, then add fresh garland over the mantel and stairway, maybe add a string of lights to help brighten it up. At doorways add greenery sconces and also place one on each side of the mantel. On the table place a decorated candle ring of fresh greenery and over doorways add more fresh garland.

For added, color place poinsettias throughout the house. They come in several colors including red, pink, white and marble, so they will go almost anywhere. Also considering using the eternally popular Christmas cactus, which has beautiful blooms that will last through Christmas, to bring holiday color inside.

To create the Christmas atmosphere outside, add lights to trees and shrubs. Then put garland around the front door and on porch railings. Wrap it around the light pole at the corner of the driveway and sidewalk and hang it over the garage doors. Next and probably the most popularly used outdoors is the Christmas wreath. They are quite often found on the front door with big red bows on them. Adding them to windows is also popular now.

Think about gardening gifts for Christmas. A great gift is a plant gift certificate which allows the recipient to choose their own gift. Consider giving a landscape plan to someone who could use a landscape makeover. A gardening gift certificate would be a great gift for someone who loves working outside.

Happy gardening!