Incahoots

winter container garden

We usually think of container gardens during the spring and summer months, but fall and winter plants also offer an abundant array of color and texture for focal points in containers as well.
To keep your containers looking fresh and eye-catching, it helps to change them seasonally so plants are at their best.
The first step in putting together your creation is selecting a container.  Just about anything that will hold soil and has provision for drainage will do.  Terra-cotta pots, stoneware, homemade wooden boxes, old shoes, use your imagination. If you are reusing a container it should first be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water.
When considering plant choices for fall and winter containers, keep in mind that flowers are sometimes at a minimum, so focus on foliage and berry color, architectural form and silhouette value. For instance, a dramatic combination with no actual flowers could be…

Red Twig Dogwood (tall red twigs)
Bergenia (large leaves turn red in winter)
Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’ (brightly colored stems of  yellow, orange, pink, crimson, or purple)
Gaultheria (evergreen foliage with bright red berries)
Ornamental Kale (ruffly texture in purple or white leaves)
Pieris Japonica (variegated foliage and small flower buds)

To really distinguish your planting, consider adding a bit of art or whimsy to the design.  Many garden accessories work equally well in containers and with the current popularity of gardening and nature, they’re not hard to find.  Gigantic metal dragonflies, insect theme votive candle holders, and inspirational garden plaques are all easy to poke in. For a more natural look, don’t overlook the impact of twigs. Just a few curly willow, dogwood or birch stems can dramatically change the look of your container.

Annual Color

Pansies and Violas
Ornamental Kale and Cabbage
Swiss Chard
Cyclamen
Chrysanthemums

Low / Trailing

Ajuga
Moss
Thyme
Rosemary
Wintergreen (evergreen foliage, red berries)
Rubus – Creeping Raspberry
Sedum
Lysimachia – Creeping Jenny

Medium Height / Mounding

Helleborus (winter flowers)
Heather
Evergreen Ferns
Bergenia
Armeria
Herbs
Dusty Miller
Sarcoccoca
Sage
Heuchera
Euphorbia
Grasses

Tall / Vertical

Red or Yellow Twig Dogwood
Conifers and evergreen shrubs
Camellias (late-winter flowers)
Yucca
New Zealand Flax
Beauty Berry
Daphne
Grasses (decorative seed heads)
Corylopsis
Dwarf Japanese Holly
Dwarf Rhododendron
Taxus – Yew
Pieris Japonica
Dwarf Nandina
Forsythia

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