When Meghan Markle shared her recent Instagram photo promoting her new Netflix holiday special, viewers loved her warm, elegant, signature style. The scene featured the Duchess of Sussex in a green dress, smiling, and leaning down to light a candle around a holiday table.
The subtle yet stunning greenery woven throughout truly elevates the moment. Meghan has always embraced a clean, natural aesthetic. Her approach is the perfect blueprint for gardeners and hosts who want to bring some of the outdoors into their Christmas celebrations without overspending or overcomplicating the decor.
You don’t need a royal budget to recreate the look, either. With a few clippings from your own garden, some inexpensive herbs, and a handful of seasonal touches, you can craft a table that feels lush, inviting, and highly personal. So, here's how to create a holiday table using greenery from your own garden.
Start With Herbs for Simple, Affordable Elegance
Fresh herbs are the easiest way to add fragrance and texture to your holiday table. If you have a container garden, this is a great time to use up the last of what has bloomed, or you can source them locally.
How can you use herbs for decoration? Rosemary sprigs can be tucked into napkin rings. Sage leaves can soften the edges of a place setting. Bunches of thyme can be laid along the center of the table for a soft draping effect. Let your imagination run wild!
Pro tip: If you chose herbs that were growing outdoors, give them a light shaping trim. They will not only look beautiful but also fill the room with a comforting, seasonal aroma.
Use Winter Foliage for Natural Texture
Meghan’s table setting featured a blend of cultivated plants with natural, woodland-inspired touches. Evergreen sprigs, cedar, boxwood, and holly branches can be snipped straight from your yard and used as runners, tucked into vases, or layered around candles as Meghan showed.
Focus on mixing textures; pair feathery pine with glossy magnolia leaves, or woody eucalyptus stems with soft juniper. This creates an understated, layered look. If you want to add something extra, consider foraging for pine cones, which come in several festive varieties, such as sugar (extra long and striking), lodgepole or white pine cones (a more classic shape), and spruce cones (extra long and slender).
Not lucky enough to have any fresh pine trees around your home? This Christmas garland from Target is full and highly realistic.
Add Potted Plants for Height and Charm
Rather than focusing on large bouquets, keep it natural with simple potted plants. It’s an approachable look that still retains elegance. Try small pots of lavender, cyclamen, kalanchoe, or mini evergreens, which bring height and life to the table without obstructing conversation.
Try this Dwarf Alberta Spruce tree from Walmart. If you have any extra, they can double as take-home gifts for your guests, a very Meghan thing to do.
Try adding some ceramic pots in a variety of festive colors as well. Think deep forest green, rich cranberry red, matte winter white, or even a soft metallic gold for a subtle holiday glow. This white ceramic planter from Amazon fits the bill.
Finish With Thoughtful, Garden-Inspired Details
It’s all in the little touches: rosemary tied to napkins with twine, or small herb bundles as place cards. The beauty of the Meghan Markle aesthetic is that it feels fresh and attainable. With just a few ingredients from your garden, you can create a table that feels festive and welcoming to your guests.
