Story by Rebecca Broyles

Boston’s Beacon Hill, world-renowned for its Colonial charm and atmosphere, proudly showcases Christmas decorations ranging from restrained to opulent. No matter what their tone, they all have two things in common — superior quality and the use of fresh greenery.

At first glance the ornate gold wreath on its matte black door doesn’t appear to have anything natural about it. You notice a spray of gold laurel leaves draping three-quarters of the way around; pieces of gold-painted juniper tucked among the leaves; antique silver and gold ornaments hanging amid the foliage; the sumptuous bow and streamers brocaded with silver, slate blue, and light and dark gold; and the perfectly scaled, perfectly placed gold pineapple at the bottom.

It is a masterpiece of artifice, but it is also a masterpiece, period. The gold would be overpowering and soulless if it were the only thing there. Instead, it nestles into thick branches of mixed fir and variegated juniper with sprigs of incense-cedar whose clusters of tiny yellow cones echo the surrounding gold. There are large brown sugar cones tucked in and, subtly picking up the silvery blue shades in the bow, blue-berried juniper branches.

Perhaps its opposite, equally handsome, is a fir and boxwood wreath adorned solely with a sheer, softly iridescent violet bow. The entire setting of townhouse, ivy topiaries, climbing ivy and green wreath illustrates compelling beauty that attracts attention without demanding it.