Holiday landscaping doesn’t have to mean elaborate professional decorating — a handful of simple, well-chosen touches can bring real Christmas character to a Salt Lake City yard without requiring a background in design.

Solar-Powered Christmas Lights

String lights remain the classic centerpiece of holiday outdoor decorating, and solar or battery-powered options have made this tradition considerably more practical in recent years. Beyond the environmental benefit, solar lights cost far less to run through the holiday season than traditional wired lighting, and they eliminate the hassle of running extension cords across a snowy yard.

Creating a Focal Point Without a Live Tree

A Christmas tree doesn’t have to come from an actual tree — a simple arrangement of red and green string lights wrapped around any suitable structure in the yard (a trellis, a tall shrub, even a strategically placed frame) can create a festive focal point that reads as a holiday tree from a distance, without needing a dedicated evergreen.

Ornaments Beyond the Indoor Tree

Many households have a box of classic ornaments that only comes out in December — those same ornaments can extend outdoors, decorating outdoor trees or shrubs to bring the same nostalgic character to the yard that they bring to an indoor tree. This is an easy way to add personality to outdoor decorating without purchasing anything new.

Wreaths for the Entrance

A wreath on the front door is one of the simplest, highest-impact holiday touches available. Personalizing it with red ribbon, pine cones, or berries takes only a few minutes and immediately signals a warm, welcoming entrance to anyone approaching the home or business.

Seasonal Touches for Business Properties

Commercial properties benefit from holiday landscaping touches just as much as homes — a business entrance decorated with lights or a wreath signals warmth and attention to detail to customers and clients visiting during the season, the same way it does for residential visitors.

Caring for Trees and Landscaping Through Winter

Holiday decorating is also a good moment to check on the health of trees and shrubs before winter fully sets in — confirming branches are structurally sound before adding the weight of lights or ornaments, and making sure any recent plantings are properly prepared for Salt Lake City’s cold winter conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are solar-powered Christmas lights bright enough for outdoor use?

Modern solar lights have improved significantly and work well for most residential and light commercial holiday displays, though very large or elaborate displays may still benefit from traditional wired lighting.

Can I decorate shrubs and trees without damaging them?

Yes, as long as lights and ornaments are lightweight and not wrapped so tightly they constrict growth — checking that branches can support the added weight, especially before a heavy Utah snowfall, is a good practice.

When should holiday landscaping decorations come down?

Most homeowners remove decorations in early January, though solar lights left up slightly longer cause no harm to plants as long as they’re removed before spring pruning and growth begins.

Keeping Decorations Weather-Appropriate for Utah Winters

Salt Lake City’s winter weather brings real snow load and freezing temperatures, which means outdoor decorations need to hold up to more than just cold — heavy, wet snow can damage delicate string lights or bend lightweight ornament hangers if they’re not rated for outdoor winter use. Choosing decorations genuinely built for outdoor winter conditions, rather than repurposing indoor decor, prevents a display that looks great in early December from becoming a tangled mess by January.

Timing Your Holiday Landscaping Around the First Freeze

Putting up outdoor holiday decorations before the ground fully freezes makes the process considerably easier — stakes and light anchors go into soft ground far more easily than frozen ground, and any last-minute plant care (like a final deep watering before winter dormancy) is best handled before decorating begins. Planning holiday decorating around Salt Lake City’s typical freeze timeline, rather than waiting until the last minute, saves real frustration.

Millburn Landscaping & Design provides year-round landscaping and gardening care across Salt Lake City. Contact us for maintenance plans and seasonal care.