Winter Garden Containers

Category: Winter projects | Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 2:49 pm

What to do with my garden containers now that the temperatures have dropped and all the fall flowers are looking gone, gone, gone? I take care of the schools two large planters in the front of the building and have been trying to decide on what I could put in them that would look good through the winter. It is hard because plant matter that looks too good gets up and walks away. I hope it finds good home(s) when it wanders.

This last week I pulled the chrysanthemums, brought them home and put them in pots to hold over for next year. Don't know how that will work, but it seemed a waste to just toss them. If they live through the winter in pots I will prep them for going back into the planters for next fall. The ornamental grass grew legs and walked off. I have five varieties I keep in pots for the patio area at home. A couple of pots need to be divided, so in the spring I will divide and hold some for planting back in to the school containers for the fall of next year.

But that still leaves me with what to do with the planters for winter. I'd put in evergreen trees, but am afraid someone might think of them as free Christmas trees. Just got to pick the right "somethings".

I want to spruce up the large containers by potting them with a combination of colorful evergreen shrubs, perennials and flowering annuals with varied form and texture. I could start with something spiky, and fill in with intermediate-size shrubs with variegated foliage such as Gold Coast Holly. Maybe add some bold texture with a leathery-leafed hellebore (wish I had some hellebore left from what I gave away at the plant exchanges). I should check over the beds and see if I have any nice looking but crowded hellebores that I could pot up and take to school. There is already some Angelina sedum for a spiller effect along the outside with stems that weep over the pot. I wonder if a splash of color with winter-blooming pansies would work?

I will "have" to visit the "big box" stores today and see if I could round out the selection from some sale plants. Despite the challenges it is always fun to plan.

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