Beyond the Wreath: Plants to Decorate Your Doors

A wreath can be a beautiful accent to your home and a friendly way to welcome guests. The classic circle of green boughs may not be best for your door, however, as it may not complement your door’s style or reflect your personal flair. Fortunately, there are many stunning alternative plants and unique arrangements that can decorate your doors for any season or occasion.

12 Unique Plants as Amazing Door Decorations

There is no limit to the types of plants you can use for door decorations. The color and style of your door, the season, and what plants you have available in your garden or landscaping will help you decide on the best design options. Consider such attractive choices as…

  1. One Big Bloom – A large, showy bloom can be beautifully displayed in a hanging vase or mason jar for a simple but elegant decoration. Mammoth sunflowers, proteas, or hydrangeas are striking options, or you might combine smaller blooms into a kissing ball decoration to hang from a wreath hook or door handle instead.
  2. Herb Bundles – A rustic bundle of herbs is an attractive and fragrant way to welcome guests to your home. Rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, basil, lavender, and other herbs with rich aromas are good choices, and sprigs or stalks can be bound with a simple ribbon, piece of raffia, or twine to be hung as a door decoration.
  3. Branches and Berries – Twigs and branches can be beautiful decorations, especially when you opt for branches with twisty structures or colorful bark and pair them with sprigs of berries. Another option is colorful foliage such as forsythia paired with contrasting berries. Bundle a group of branches and berries together just like you would herbs to hang on the door, or add them to a porch pot.
  4. Glorious Grains – Another rustic option for door decorating is a sheaf of grains, such as wheat, millet, or grasses. Choose varieties with variegated foliage for a pop of color, and put them in a hanging mason jar, small clay pot, or hanging wicker basket for the best display. Add a colorful ribbon as an accent if desired.
  5. Succulent Structures – Succulent gardens can take all forms, including vertical arrangements in a wreath-like or letter shape to accent your door. Plant small, complementary succulents in a shallow frame and tuck them in firmly before hanging the arrangement vertically to create an eye-catching decoration that will make your entrance stand out.
  6. Basket Plantings – A flattened or semi-circle hanging basket is ideal for planting all sorts of flowers and foliage, or you can tuck moist floral foam or peat moss into the basket to support cut flowers. Any flowers you’d arrange in a vase can be put into the basket and used as a door decoration, giving you great flexibility to change the look for different seasons or holidays.
  7. Stunning Swags – Larger swags are a classic wreath alternative for door decorations. These bundles are often filled with pine boughs or other evergreen options, topped with a decorative ribbon for secure hanging. Autumn leaves, berry sprigs, and pine cones can be tucked into the greenery, or you can experiment with completely different plants for any look you want.
  8. Buckets of Bulbs – A small tin pot or bucket is a sweet little planter for spring bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and crocuses, and it can easily be hung on your door for a colorful welcome. Alternative containers such as rubber rain boots or gardening shoes, large garden gloves, or a tin watering can are other fun options that can support colorful bulbs.
  9. Magnificent Mosses – Mosses are often overlooked in gardening and landscaping, but they’re hardy plants that can easily be used with vertical door decorations such as frames, letter shapes, or vine wreaths. Tuck the mosses into the structure and mist them occasionally to keep them vibrantly green and welcoming.
  10. Wood Slices – If you’ve pruned thicker branches or had to cut down a tree, reuse slices of the branches or trunk to create rustic decorations for your door. Slices can be grouped into letter or wreath shapes, and you might use wood burning tools to create a welcome sign, initials, or other messages. Larger slices could be used individually for dramatic impact.
  11. Corner Creations – Instead of focusing on the center of your door, consider creating right-angle arrangements to accent corners. This will allow you to elegantly decorate your door without blocking a window, peephole, or knocker, and you can use tapering plants to lead away from each corner for a dramatic and elegant arrangement.
  12. Vibrant Vines – If you don’t have much of a porch or entryway, you can create one with an arbor and your favoring climbing vines. Simply situate the arbor or archway near to the door, and plant wisteria, trumpet vine, ivies, honeysuckle, star jasmine, clematis, or other great growers to fill in the structure. This will create a stunning entryway in no time.

Ready to decorate your door with style? Check out your local garden center for the right pruning shears, floral wire, wreath forms, twine, hanging baskets, and other essentials to add a welcoming and festive accent to your door so you can welcome all your guests with your own personal gardening flair.