Winter Container Tips and Tricks for the Northwest

Before planning or planting for the off-season, be sure to go through this checklist

To extend the season on your porch or patio , container build for wintertime are priceless . But establish pots for cool weather takes a little extra insight and planning .

Proper hard goods are the key to success

The enticement when planting winter containers is to think about the plants first , and give little thought to the pot , filth , or the even the attention of your seasonal cosmos . The tip below have always helped my containers gleam during the darkest months .

Containers for winter

You must be sure the container that you pick out is frost test copy . Many times containers are not meant to be stop dead unanimous . Soil in a container can freeze much quicker than soil in the ground , and the piss in the soil can thrive and break the pot . Lightweight faux terra - cotta is beautiful and a sodding frost - proof option . It ’s unmanageable to separate the difference of opinion between it and real terra - cotta . There are winter - proof ceramic or clayware containers on the market that also ferment great .

Soil for wintertime container

Light soil puzzle out best in winter green goddess . Resist the urge to just rend out the top level grease along with your summer flora and will the compacted grunge in the bottom of the potful . Roots do still grow in winter during milder times , and the ability of a plant to live through winter does depend on the roots being able to reach deeper into the soil . Mixing in some composted organic topic will ensure that the mix stays light , and it will lightly feed the works too .

Watering wintertime containers

Rain ( even constant ) does n’t provide enough wet to keep the containerized plants alive . pee whenever the dirt feels wry . If the dirt is light and not contract it will also drain better , allowing watering to proceed throughout winter .

Winter container call for shelter

grade the container on a porch or shelter area is a great idea . The container will do better if it is not battered around by the air current . If you do n’t have this character of shelter , plant a average - meridian , evergreen Gunter Grass that will play as a shelterbelt . dear pick are Feather Falls ™ sedge ( Carex‘ETCRX01 ’ , Zones 5–9 ) or New Zealand wind grass ( Anemanthele lessoniana , Zones 8–10 ) . These will protect some of the other plant from the weather condition , and they seem beautiful when tossed by the malarkey .

Plant choice isn’t as limited as you think

Now that the mundane stuff is out of the way , let ’s lecture about plants . This is also a challenge . Just because it looks great in the glasshouse does n’t mean it will look practiced in a month . Start off with a large argument plant in the background . It is even better if you could put sparkle on it for night involvement . Lights around the outside of a firm can push away the gloom and feel welcoming when you ’re return home in the dark . You might be charm to do a “ Christmas container , ” but I suggest aiming for more of a winter look that will last beyond December . It is always potential to sum up Christmas touches such as glass balls , rose hips , or holly branches that can be removed in January .

Winter container recipe

This container has several elements that allow it to look unspoiled in belated November all the way through March .

I choose this evergreen as the focal point for the heart for the container . It can last in a pot for several years but will probably find a new home in my garden in spring .

motley leaves are a great way of life to add interest when things are not blooming . ‘ Green Spice ’ is a strong - growing genus Heuchera that stays evergreen . Unlike some of the wimpier cultivars , this works does n’t collapse off or fade out after a couple of age .

The blade of this adorable perennial take on a Au , green , and white diversification in wintertime . It blooms belatedly in the year , so the over-embellished spike flowers are just coming into their own in previous fall . Often overlooked in the garden because it is a humbled - grower , here you get to see all of its colour up close . Both the heuchera and lilyturf hang over the container to soften the edge .

This evergreen plant holds its white , mat - forming bloom through most of the winter . As the name suggests , it will tumble over the edge of the container .

I am never capable to resist a new plant ; this stunner adds dramatic event to the container . A ground masking with lustrous evergreen foliage , it is fabulous in a funny , moist planting seam . Many citizenry think the white tubular flowers with rust inside are inconsequent , but I care them , especially in a winter container where you could really see them . This plant blooms lately , but when the flush disappear , you ’ll be left with the plush leaves fall over the bound of the lot .

A terminal touch of purple occur from a favorite perennial I dig out of the garden . All of these plant grow in partial shade , so when you are quick to clean out this container in spring , they can all be replant together in the garden .

Even though this is a wintertime container and does n’t have a pile of Bolshevik and green , lend some amber and silver tinsel or asterisk and it will say , “ Happy Holidays . ”

— Susan Calhoun is the possessor of Plantswoman Design in Bainbridge Island , Washington .

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The keys to a successful winter containe

The keys to a successful winter container come down to selecting the right pot, soil, and plants. But don’t assume you can take the exact same approach as you do with your summer plantings.

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winter container close up

Just because it’s winter, don’t think you need to stick to all evergreens and red-flowering plants. Here, a combination of purple, white, and gold is a seasonal dream.

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