Vita vinterblommor

Elegant White Winter Arrangements for New Year’s and Beyond

Now that Christmas has passed with its vibrant palette—colorful wrapping paper, decorations in every hue, and glowing red flowers—it’s time for a fresh start at the New Year’s party. Many people feel it’s the perfect opportunity to embrace an entirely new color scheme. After the intensity of Christmas red, why not replace it with pure white flowers, icy silver decorations, and table linens or candles in white or blue?

One beautiful suggestion—equally suitable for times beyond New Year’s festivities—is to create a group planting of elegant winter plants and flowers in serene, light hues. This group started as my Lucia arrangement, but it remains just as lovely after Christmas and into the winter months.

Composing the Arrangement

This display is planted in a large, plastic-lined basket. Begin with a generous layer of LECA (light expanded clay aggregate) for good drainage. Each plant stays in its original pot with soil and a bit of LECA, covered on top with a layer of cushion moss. The moss not only conceals the pots but also helps retain moisture and sets a soft, natural backdrop for your winter whites.

The group features, from the front left:

A white-variegated goldfish plant (Nematanthus), charming even when not in bloom
A tall and graceful Clerodendrum wallichii—a plant without a common Swedish name, closely related to “ödesträdet”/“lingon och mjölk” (C. thomsonae)
A brilliant white azalea as the luminous centerpiece

Behind these, from the left, a budding stem of the white-flowered jewel orchid (Ludisia) rises through the green. Next comes a creamy white bromeliad, Guzmania ‘Pax’, and the striking foliage of dumb cane, Dieffenbachia maculata ‘Camilla’.

Images

Elegant winter arrangement

Detail of goldfish plant (“pussmun”)

Plant Care After the Holidays

As the festive season ends, you may wish to separate the group, as each species thrives under slightly different conditions:

Clerodendrum wallichii

Related to “ödesträdet” (C. thomsonae), this plant requires a cool, bright spot (around 15°C) for its winter rest after flowering. It often sheds all its leaves, but this is normal—the foliage will return in spring. In April-May, once growth resumes, start regular fertilizing and repot in fresh soil with LECA.

Azalea

Prefers a cool, light setting and thrives when the whole pot is immersed in lime-free water several times a week. In spring, up-pot into larger, lime-free peat soil and, come summer, you can sink the pot outdoors in the garden beneath bushes. Water and feed with rhododendron fertilizer; in autumn, move it back indoors to a cool, bright place before the frost.

Goldfish plant (Nematanthus)

A trailing plant for hanging baskets, it has thick, drought-tolerant leaves and prefers modest watering, but enjoys regular misting. Reblooming indoors is rare, but if you have a warm greenhouse, it can flourish impressively year-round.

Guzmania ‘Pax’ (juvelblomma)

Related to pineapples, this bromeliad likes water poured into its leaf rosette and frequent misting. The colorful bracts remain decorative for a long time, although the tiny flowers are not showy. Post-flowering, it’s seldom worthwhile to keep the plant, as it often declines by next season.

Dieffenbachia ‘Camilla’

Many dieffenbachias are durable and tolerate some shade, but this white-leaved form prefers as much light as possible (not direct sun). Water moderately in winter; don’t allow to dry out completely. In spring, repot and resume normal watering and feeding.

Jewel orchid (Ludisia)

Exceptionally hardy, even in north-facing windows, and prefers a steady room temperature (17–24°C) without direct sunlight. Water moderately year-round; unlike most orchids, it grows well in standard, LECA-mixed potting soil.

Alternative or Addition: “Ice” Lily of the Valley

Another timeless decoration for winter’s festivities is a pot of “ice” lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) forced to bloom indoors just in time for the turn of the year. If you haven’t had time to force your own from bulbs in autumn, you can find pre-forced clusters ready to plant in flower shops. Pot them in light soil, cover with moist moss, and place a dark “hat” over the pot in a cool room for about six weeks. Keep the moss damp, and once the shoots emerge about 5 cm above the moss, remove the cover and move to a bright, cool spot to bloom. After flowering, treat them gently in a cool, bright spot; they can then be planted outdoors in spring, where they will reflower year after year (but not the same year they are planted).

Ice-forced lily of the valley

With their frosty palette of whites, silvers, and delicate foliage, these winter arrangements offer a sophisticated and calming contrast to the festive excess of Christmas. Whether as a shimmering centerpiece for New Year’s Eve or a serene accent through the darkest months, a carefully assembled group of winter plants promises enduring beauty and seasonal joy—long after the last juleljus has faded.