Fabulous winter pots

Great plant combinations liven up the season.

Containers play an important role in the landscape, and winter plantings in them can be every bit as dazzling as summer's sizzling mixtures. If you consider this cool season lackluster, think again. Sunshine may be in short supply, but warm, colorful combinations abound.

The Nature of Texture

Conifers and evergreens can be woven together in a fabulous tapestry of foliage blending myriad shades of green. Choose plants for their individual personalities and also for how well they play with others. For example, the graceful blue-green branches of a Leyland cypress make a strong, slender spire. In a pot by itself, it appears lonely. Paired with a thickleaved, leathery mahonia (shown at left), it presents a striking contrast. Introduce a dwarf nandina, dressed in winter's brilliant red leaves, a golden arborvitae, and ivy for a container filled with interesting partners.

Or fill a pot with silver plants. In the one shown at left, Arizona cypress is the focal point, and 'Powis Castle' artemisia fills out the pot's midsection. Lamb's ears accent the edge with big, fuzzy leaves, appropriate foils to the other delicate textures. If this combo appears a bit too cool, add gazing balls. Tucked in among the plants, whimsical garden ornaments inject unanticipated color.

Simply Colorful

Containers in sunny locations are prime candidates for winter's best bloomers-pansies and violas. The simple combination above features a portly boxwood in a classic pot. Pansies surround the lustrous foliage, and ivy tumbles over the edge. A weekly watering with a blossom-boosting fertilizer keeps this feature at its best.

Life's Short-Plant Big

A cold truth: Most shrubs don't do much growing in winter. Plant your container to be full from the beginning. There is a wide range of materials available in 1-gallon-size pots, so you can fit a nice assortment in a 12- or 14-inch container. Make your selections, and snuggle them tightly in the vessel. ELLEN RUOFF RILEY

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Dec 2002
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