Sing it loud, plant lovers. Ma Nature is feeling festive. Here's a joyful garden-themed countdown featuring twelve Nature Hills favorites that bring cheer, color, fragrance, and winter magic to any landscape.
Grab some hot cocoa, your most comfy socks, and join in!
On the first day of Christmas...
A Partridge Pear Tree
Give your true love the gift of delicious homegrown fruit with a gorgeous Pear Tree. It's a garden classic that gets better each year, with spring blossoms, summer growth, and sweet fall harvests. If you're dreaming of planting fruit trees this season, this guide to Planting Fruit Trees is the perfect place to begin.
Not feeling up to caring for a fruit tree? Try a Flowering Pear instead! The Partridge is optional, but encouraged!
On the second day of Christmas...
Two Turtle Doves... and Two White Turtleheads
A perfect plant pun for the season. The crisp, pure blooms of the White Turtlehead perennial bring elegant structure and late-season interest. Pollinators adore it, and its upright spikes give winter gardens a sculptural touch worthy of a holiday carol.
On the third day of Christmas...
Three French Hens... French Manicure™ Hydrangeas
Swap hens for the stunning French Manicure™ Panicle Hydrangea. These blooms layer white and blush tones like a winter sunset and bring that chic, French-inspired flair to any landscape.
On the fourth day of Christmas...
Four Calling Birds... Bird's Nest Spruce
The compact, swirling form of the Bird's Nest Spruce gives year-round, low-growing structure. Its layered evergreen branches look like a cozy nest waiting for winter's choir of calling birds.
On the fifth day of Christmas...
Fiiiiiiiive Gooooold Riiiiiings!
Go ahead and belt out our favorite part of the song with us! Instead of rings, let the garden shine with plants that glow like ornaments in winter light. Golden flowers and sunshine-bright foliage bring cheer to even the frostiest days, warming up garden beds, borders, and porch pots. These dazzling selections add brightness, contrast, and a little holiday magic wherever they grow.
1. Golden Showers Climbing Rose
Golden Showers Climbing Rose bursts with sunshine-yellow blossoms that climb arbors and trellises like shimmering garlands. Its sweet fragrance and abundant blooms are pure holiday joy.
2. Sunjoy® Gold Pillar Barberry
The upright form and golden foliage of the Sunjoy Gold Pillar Barberry bring bright structure and bold color all season. A vertical beam of holiday gold.
3. Lynwood Gold Forsythia
A classic herald of spring, the Lynwood Gold Forsythia erupts with brilliant yellow blooms so bright they look lit from within. A golden trumpet blast in shrub form.
4. Gold Splash® Wintercreeper Euonymus
Cheerful variegated foliage gives Gold Splash Wintercreeper a sunny personality that lasts year-round. Its vibrant leaf edges glow like gilded trim on a holiday gift.
5. Gold Gem Boxwood
The compact, cushion-shaped Gold Gem Boxwood adds warm golden-green foliage that keeps its color even in winter. A perfect little treasure for borders, walkways, and foundation plantings.
On the sixth day of Christmas...
Six Geese A-Laying... Gooseberries!
A delicious twist on the verse. Gooseberry bushes offer tart, flavorful berries perfect for jams, pies, and holiday treats. Plus, their arching branches, gorgeous foliage, and berries brighten edible landscapes year-round.
On the seventh day of Christmas...
Seven Swans A-Swimming... with White Swan Coneflowers
The pristine, elegant petals of the White Swan Coneflower glide through the garden like winter swans. Their crisp white petals and golden cones attract pollinators and add beauty from summer into winter. If you're building a pollinator haven for next year, this guide to Pollinator Gardens pairs beautifully with these graceful blooms.
On the eighth day of Christmas...
Eight Maids A-Milking... Honey Maid Holly
With variegated leaves edged in creamy white, the Honey Maid Meserve Holly brings that holiday milk-and-honey glow. Its evergreen character adds structure and charm to winter landscapes and containers.
On the ninth day of Christmas...
Nine Ladies Dancing... Little Lady™ Lilacs
The sweet fragrance and romantic blooms of the Little Lady™ Lilac swirl and dance like elegant ladies in colorful gowns. A graceful, compact shrub perfect for small gardens with a big personality.
On the tenth day of Christmas...
Ten Lords A-Leaping... Holly Fit for a Castle
If any plant deserves a kingdom, it's the stately Castle Wall® and Castle Spire® Hollies. Their bold form and glossy leaves create the perfect hedges for any noble landscape. These evergreen guardians stand tall enough for any lord to leap behind with pride.
On the eleventh day of Christmas...
Eleven Pipers Piping... Guernsey Flute™ Clematis
The festive, snowy blooms of the Guernsey Flute™ Clematis look like pipers dressed for a winter parade. Their bright white flowers add vertical interest and a joyful melody to fences, trellises, and arbors.
On the twelfth day of Christmas...
Twelve Drummers Drumming... Drummond Pink Creeping Phlox!
Let the garden beat with bright color. The vibrant, candy-pink blooms of the Drummond Pink Creeping Phlox create a ground-hugging carpet that bursts into spring like a chorus of tiny drummers. Its cheerful color, early-season energy, and pollinator appeal make it the perfect grand finale to this Christmas garden countdown.
A Merry Finale for Your Holiday Garden
From partridge-ready Pear Trees to carpets of Drummond Pink Creeping Phlox, this playful plant-filled countdown shows just how magical Ma Nature can be during the holidays. Each plant brings its own sparkle, fragrance, texture, or color, turning the garden into a living carol all season long. Whether you gift them, grow them, or simply admire them, these beauties keep the spirit of the season humming long after the last verse fades.
Here's to gardens that glow, grow, and celebrate right alongside us.
Happy Holidays & Happy Planting!