Much as I would like my home to resemble a still from the movie It's a Wonderful Life, decking the hall usually amounts to a supermarket bought azalea forlornly wilting in a plastic pot.

As for decorating the tree, what should be a time of family bonding, usually results in strangulation by tinsel, with one daughter arguing for the Goth look with black feathers and rubber bats, while the other wants to swathe it in angel hair.

Whether it ends up looking like Marilyn Manson or Miss Havisham in Wuthering Heights, as sure as Christmas Day follows Christmas Eve, the tree is guaranteed to keel over the second the lights are switched on and ends up tethered to the radiator.

I felt that Christmas had come early when Jill Stewart, owner of Boxwood, Scotland's exclusive supplier of artificial flowers and plants, assured me that it doesn't have to be that way. As a landscape interior designer, Jill speaks with authority, as all year round, her in-house design team create bespoke arrangements specifically designed to suit individual interiors.

Since opening in March, the company has secured numerous contracts with leading hotels and restaurants in and around Glasgow, as well as completing major landscaping contracts for interior design companies throughout Europe.

As well as being a source of inspiration and a showcase for local artists and crafts people, the Boxwood shop has an almost salon-like atmosphere, with staff happy to take time out to advise on displays tailored to your home.

All the Boxwood team were trained by the original owner of Inscape, the celebrated interior landscape design outlet. After working in theatre, film and television design, Jill managed the Inscape shop and contract division, and was inspired to branch out on her own when Inscape closed down.

Whether it is a boutique, hotel or your living room, the Boxwood team works with the key elements of your interior to help create a dramatic first impression. House staging is one of the services on offer for properties which have problems selling. Placing bay trees on the doorstep and swags and garlands in the kitchen, creates a stylish and economical alternative to pre-sale decorating.

Boxwood really comes into its own during the festive season when the shop, in the west end of Glasgow, is stocked with everything from Shaker-style handmade wooden and tin hangers for that New England look, to plum and gold coloured baubles and velvet flowers for creating a rich traditional housestyle.

If you prefer to go it alone, Boxtree stocks an imaginative range of garlands, decorations and silk based flowers. ''We are all about using imaginative and stylish finishing touches to make your Christmas a little bit different,'' says Jill, who trained in interior and environmental design at Duncan Jordanstone College of Art.

''Simplicity and elegance are the key factors to all our designs,'' Jill continues. ''If you are opting for a traditional look, let trends from near and far influence your decorating. Use gold and red for a classic look, centred around the fireplace.

''Choose gold and berry red for a warm decorating scheme that's rich, decadent and reminiscent of days gone by. Trim the mantlepiece with a fir garland and add a velvet runner to a coffee table.''

For those in Martha Stewart mode, the New England Christmas style can be reproduced in Scotland by using crisp red and white as key colours. ''Be restrained when trimming your tree,'' Jill advises.

''Allow the foliage to take centre stage, adding a selection of simple wooden shapes such as doves, stars and hearts. Use fir branches around candles as a table decoration or tied with a simple red ribbon to make a wreath.''

By using your imagination you can come up with a reassuringly traditional Christmas scheme which doesn't rely on holly and ivy for decoration. Instead of plain leaves, introduce hints of copper foliage and the gleam of silver.

Try extending the colour palette beyond the traditional berry scarlet, and instead bring opulent shades of maroon and plum into play. These rich and regal colours can be used to decorate both the table and tree, incorporating seasonal fruits and flowers.

Even if home is a one-bedroom apartment you can still create the ''manor house'' look by encompassing all things indulgent to conjure up a feeling of grandeur. Carry the Christmas theme throughout the house from the front door wreath and staircase fir swags, to the mantle display and table settings.

No Christmas decor is complete without a well dressed tree and it is worth deciding on a theme and maintaining consistency with baubles and ornaments. Keep your decorations to use year on year, adding a few new ones to your collection.

If your creativity and timescale is in freefall, then the Boxwood team can take care of some or all of the festive frills, including decorating your tree, designing door wreaths, garlands and table settings, as well as supplying handmade Christmas stockings and fillers.

When Twelfth Night arrives and your rooms are suffering from post-seasonal affective disorder, a few carefully chosen arrangements from Boxwood will add a midwinter zing which lasts all year round.

''All my flowers are silk based,'' says Jill, ''so you don't have to worry about replacing or watering them which is great for busy environments where time and expense is a concern. It saves you replacing fresh flowers and they are ideal for people with a pollen allergy.''

In between creating winter wonderlands in her clients' homes and renovating her own garden apartment which she bought as a derelict shell, Jill could well be decorating her own tree on Christmas Eve.

The designer may opt for a low maintenance bamboo tree which comes with different shades of foliage and looks instantly stylish when placed in a wicker basket.

In the meantime, you can contact the Boxwood team on 0141 357 6642 or visit their shop at 388 Byres Road.

Jill's festive decorating tips

l group a collection of candle sticks together on your mantlepiece and decorate with fresh fir, holly and berries, then finish with ornate ribbon

l scoop out the centre of red apples, place in a line of five - wind twigs and berries through them

l spray a selection of nuts, hazel-nuts and walnuts, silver and gold, then scatter on the dining table

l instead of traditional crackers, place individual small gifts tied in ribbon at each setting

l make chocolate ivy leaves for effective decoration

l place a basket filled with scented pine cones and dried oranges near a radiator or fire

l use lots of cream pillar church candles