Festive berries

Add a splash of cheer to your holiday decor with glistening red berries from the garden. Choices vary by region; in late fall, you can probably choose from several kinds.

Pyracantha (top left) is generally abundant and puts on a great show, shooting out long wands of berry clusters.

A single branch wired to a gate makes a friendly welcome for visitors, human and otherwise (birds love to eat the crimson fruit).

You can get a similar effect with cotoneaster, English holly, or toyon.

Easy-to-grow nandina (lower left) is the cut-berry champ, producing loose vermilion-hued sprays that hold their color and shape for months.

A tea light makes the perfect snowy base for a tiny nandina tree-trim the candle's wick, then use the hole in the wax as the footing for a sprig. Attach a name tag to make a creative placecard.