Walking into Decking the Halls: Trees, Herbs & Greenery to Celebrate the Holiday Season, you’re greeted by something more like a winter forest than a book: illustrated pages full of spruce, holly, mistletoe, and wintergreen. Melrose and Normandeau, both veteran gardeners, bring their deep horticultural knowledge to bear, weaving together plant history, care tips, decorative ideas, and even edible traditions.
Janet Melrose is a garden educator, consultant, and a dedicated advocate for Calgary’s sustainable local food system. A lifelong gardener, she holds both a Prairie Horticulture Certificate and a Home Farm Horticultural Therapy Certificate. Janet is passionate about horticultural therapy and leads programs that help integrate people with disabilities into the broader community. A regular contributor to The Gardener for Canadian Climates, she lives in Calgary, where she runs her educational and consulting practice, Calgary’s Cottage Gardener. https://www.instagram.com/calgaryscottagegardener/?hl=en
Sheryl Normandeau is a lifelong gardener, freelance writer, and expert in prairie horticulture, based in Calgary. She holds a Prairie Horticulture Certificate and a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Certificate. Over her career, she’s written hundreds of gardening-focused articles and contributes regularly to publications like The Gardener for Canadian Climates, The Prairie Garden Annual, and Herb Quarterly. Sheryl is also the author of The Little Prairie Book of Berries – see our feature of this book at https://canadiancookbooks.ca/the-little-prairie-book-of-berries-2/
For me, the most delicious part comes in Chapter Four: The Sweet and Savoury Smells of the Season. There we find real recipes — not dozens, but a thoughtfully curated few: Janet’s simple mulled wine, a tangy cranberry sauce (found in our Recipe section), and a traditional English stuffing. These aren’t just throwaway ideas — they’re anchored in the plant-world the book loves, using herbs and berries that link directly back to the decorative greenery discussed elsewhere. It’s not a full holiday menu, but it’s enough to inspire a warm, plant-scented gathering.
What makes this book feel particularly special, on the culinary front, is how it ties ornamentation and aroma so seamlessly to tradition. Melrose and Normandeau don’t just tell you which evergreens to choose for your wreath — like balsam, fir, or Scots pine — but also share how their scents have flavored holiday tables for generations. The authors’ passion for both aesthetics and edibility means that this isn’t just a “how to decorate” guide, or a “how to cook” book — it’s a botanical celebration of Christmas as a feast for the senses.
I particularly loved their sections on the stories behind plants: for instance, tracing the Yule log and holly, or the Glastonbury Thorn, or diving into mistletoe lore. These are not dry botanical treatises — the narrative is warm, personal, and full of wonder, just right for curling up by candlelight once the tree is lit.
One small caveat: if you’re looking for a cookbook stuffed with lots of recipes, this isn’t it. But if you — like me — find joy in foraging, in the mingling scents of pine and spice, and in decorating with meaning, this book is a delight. The mulled wine recipe, simple but aromatic, is precisely the kind of thing I’ll be making during those long winter evenings. And the cranberry sauce and stuffing suggest that Melrose’s family holiday table would be a botanical dream.
Decking the Halls feels less like a how-to manual and more like an invitation: to slow down, breathe in evergreen, remember the stories behind familiar plants, and bring nature indoors — not only to look at, but to taste, to smell, and to savor during the holiday season. It’s the kind of book that sits lovingly on your coffee table and occasionally makes its way into your kitchen. Purchase the book for yourself or a botanical foodie on your gift list at https://touchwoodeditions.com/products/decking-the-halls or win a copy in our Giveaway section.
If you’re a plant-lover, or someone who thinks holiday decor should be edible — or at least aromatic — this is a book worth curling up with.
Contents and images used with permission by Touchwood Editions. https://touchwoodeditions.com/products/decking-the-halls