The best flowers for your holiday party

The holidays aren’t complete without decorations to go along with them, and flowers could be the finishing touch you’re looking for this winter. Cameron Hardesty, Director of Products at UrbanStems, a an affordable flower delivery service in NYC that hand delivers seasonal bouquets via bicycle, tells us which stems will challenge the mightly christmas tree from having the biggest wow factor at your holiday party this year.

Put a twist on a classic holiday theme

While the standard holiday plants amaryllis and poinsettias will always work for your holiday gathering — think outside the box. “Amaryllis can be expensive, and you’re never sure when they’ll bloom,” warns Hardesty. “What you see is what you get.” She suggests going with pine or spruce bouquets to make your table setting stand out. Hardesty also likes different takes on holiday colors. She uses calla lilies and silver dollar eucalyptus for a wintery effect.

Flower power

If traditional isn’t really your style, go wild with flowers. “Fresh garlands are normally on banisters, but you can use them as table runners,” says Hardesty. “It looks festive and really rustic for Christmas.” She also suggests sticking some succulents in the garland for a trendier piece. Hardesty also likes kissing balls, dense balls of flowers. “You can hang them from the ceiling or even off the backs of chairs at the table,” she says.

Stick with seasonal

Hardesty says to use anything seasonal in your floral arrangements. “A plant that seems like it’s made for this time of the year is magnolia. The leaves have an interesting texture,” Hardesty says. “One side is red and one side is green, so they’re great for Christmas.” To get that floral scent, Hardesty says, “buy them at a farmer’s market, because they’re cheaper and they’re always fresh.”