We Love to Decorate for Christmas and other Winter Holidays---Early

We wish for a White Christmas

Have you noticed that in recent years people are decorating for Christmas earlier than ever, with outdoor lights, trees and holiday decor going up before the Halloween decorations have been put away? The phenomenon has sparked curiosity and debate attributing some of the change to cultural and psychological factors. We may be a little guilty over the years; people expect our Christmas Shop to be up and running in October. 

Ornaments and lights

Psychologically, many people find joy and comfort in the holiday season. Those Hallmark movie people must know something. Christmas decorations evoke nostalgia, family, happiness and serve as a reprieve from everyday stress and challenging times. Covid's uncertainty may have had some decorating to embrace positivity and warmth. 

Red and White, a traditional favorite

Culturally, we used to wait until after Thanksgiving to get the tree up and light up the outdoors with color and inflatables. Social media may be part of the change. Instagram, facebook and Pinterest inspire us with ideas, showcasing early holiday set ups, offering classes to help us with decorating and allowing us to spend more time connecting with friends and family. We love to share our holiday homes and spaces. 

Friends gather for a wreath making party

As a large, regional Christmas Shop, we begin our set-up in early fall. By October, we're ready to showcase our trees, ornaments and Christmas themed decor. Many retailers are joining us earlier. There is a sense of urgency and anticipation that guide our behavior. 

What great fun for family and friends!

December seems too short a time to celebrate; why limit it? We allow more time to visit with friends and family throughout the extended season. If you need to get into the holiday spirit, social media helps out by covering events all season long. 

Not everyone embraces the change.  Some argue that it diminishes the significance of Thanksgiving and leads to holiday fatigue. Others feel that there is just too much commercialism stretched out over time. 

Enjoy the season!

There is a growing acceptance of early decorations. Some may say that the extra time allows more moments of joy.

Where do you fall in the decorating debate?

I have a gardening addiction: My Vacation In Maine

 Maine is a regular vacation destination for me, two close friends and some of my family members. Luckily, we travel well together. Here are some of my observations about gardening in Maine. 

Annual flowers are beautiful well into fall. Our trips are usually in early October and we found gardens galore. Here are some pics from one of my favorites, Thuya Gardens in Northeast Harbor, just outside Acadia National Park. 

Annuals and perennials are planted together in long beds against a backdrop of evergreens in Thuya Gardens, located in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Thuya delights the senses with tall, beautiful plantings. 

Asters, botanically known as Symphyotrichum, are stalwart bloomers in early fall along the coast of Maine. 

Asters paired with celosias offers a nice texture and color to the garden.  Celosias are being used more and more in late summer and fall gardens. 

Nicotiana, aka ornamental tobacco, adds bright color to the bed alongside Black-eyed Susans and Salvia.

Zinnia, an annual that will succumb to frost any day now, is planted with Dusty Miller, Rudbeckia and Salvia. All around the garden, tall Zinnias and Dahlias play a huge part in brightening up the perennials around them. 

The tall Joe Pye Weed dominates a bed that also features Salvia, Marigolds, Dahlias and more. All of the gardens provide nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds migrations. 

Blue and purple Asters and Zinnias share the fall garden spaces at Thuja. Most of these are cultivars; native asters abound in the wild spaces here in Maine. 

Bright red Coleus and Zinnias alongside Cleome and Salvia are offer amazing contrast. 

Dahlia blossoms in the concrete planter gives a feeling of tranquility with the water.

Trails through the garden lead into the woods and eventually to a terrace that takes one to the harbor. 

A peek through the trees to Northeast Harbor.

Maybe it's because the season is shorter in Maine; gardens around homes, hotels and public spaces are beautiful. Thuya garden offers a look into the gardening legacy around the resort areas in coastal Maine. 

I hope you can use some of these ideas for your own gardens. Take photos of what worked (and what didn't)in your landscape and draw upon some ideas for next year. 

In the meantime, have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a nice holiday season.