Outdoor holiday decorating -- Berkeley style

There are so many ways to decorate the exterior of your home for the holidays. Some people are fond of inflatable Santas, others favor lots of sparkle and shine, and still others hang hundreds of lights. At VisualJill, we're taking a more natural, low-key approach.

The front of the house greets guests with a simple evergreen wreath, large green ceramic pots, and our favorite stock tank, filled with cyclamen, cabbage plants and a tiny pine tree right in the center.

Small pots of pansies and succulents adorn the steps, which lead to our front door. We hung the succulent wreath from burlap to add a rustic appeal, which goes nicely with the simple juniper garland.

On the porch, we featured a humble little cypress tree on one side of the bench and a blooming aloe vera plant in a cool bow bin on the other. The fountain is from Flora Grubb.

To make the tree feel a little less "Charlie Brown-ish", we put it in a galvanized pot and tied a wooden star on the front.

Finally, a simple straw wreath hangs on the inside of the porch window -- bought at Flowerland.

We kept it simple and natural, yet festive -- in true Berkeley style.