The Surprising Flower That Makes For The Perfect Holiday Centerpiece (Not Poinsettia)

Yes, the pressure to deliver an elaborate and heavily decorated holiday feast is off. However, many are still looking for ways to keep some festive and decadent elements in their celebrations this year, even if the parties consist of one or two people. And nothing delivers like a quick and easy holiday floral arrangement. Beautiful foliage cannot only dress up a table instantly, but it also adds a seasonal flair with little to no effort.

"My house feels alive and so special [when there are flowers at the table]," says Whitney Hawkings, CEO and Co-Founder of flower-delivery company FLOWERBX. "The kids are going to feel it when they sit down at the table. It just feels like something special, and we all need that something special. [...] Also, flowers are so fragrant and being around beauty and fragrance can really lift your mood."

And while cutting and arranging an extravagant bouquet may seem like a daunting task, Hawkings insists it doesn't have to be. In fact, you can make a stunning display from bodega and supermarket flowers — it's just a matter of how you present them. "It's all about the vessel and the presentation," says Hawkings. "I don't think there's such thing as a bad flower. It's about how they're presented, really. And when you do it single varietal, in a vase, you can't go wrong."

The flower expert notes that how you trim your flowers is key here, too. "I think cutting the stems too short [so the flowers hit] the neck of the vase throttles the flower heads," she says. "They just need space to open up above the neck with sort of a ring of leaves so they have room to shine."

Need more specific tips on how to start your holiday floral decor? Ahead, Hawkings outlines her expert recommendation on how to create a beautiful (and easy) arrangement, as well as the flowers she thinks are perfect for a holiday table — no matter how small the party.

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Easy Holiday Floral Arrangements: Set The Tone

"Keeping it tonal is key," says Hawkings. "You can't go wrong if you mix all sorts of reds for a holiday table. It's almost like with an outfit, and you start mixing all sorts of colors; unless you're an artist who can wear a bold red top with bold blue trousers, which few people can."

Easy Holiday Floral Arrangements: All White Everything

"For a holiday table, you can go all white with little berry [flowers]," says Hawkings. "They're so sweet and you can center your table around one color berry. So, say you're doing white, then you can have other beautiful white florals like eucharis lily or little white roses, which are always pretty, or white lisianthus."

Easy Holiday Floral Arrangements: Pick Pink

"Pale pink flowers make for an unexpected festive table," says Hawkings. "And if you have more traditional Christmas colors in your house, pink works. It looks amazing with red and green. Pink is a definite winner."

Easy Holiday Floral Arrangements: Ditch Flowers Altogether

Another great and easy detail that makes for big impact — and doesn't involve flowers — is a garland. "We sell super lush garlands [...] which you can literally put down the center of your table and then place candles on either side."