Winter can be bland in the best of times. While the construction plants of your garden can generally hold interest all year, containers which punctuate key areas of the area in summer time may look quite tired after winter rolls around. We like to fight it by making the rounds of our clients’ homes early in winter and switching up container plantings to get items which will flourish through the chilly months.
Traditional cedar boughs and holly can be quite merry in a container, and they work nicely with Christmas lights, but what about when the holidays are over and the lights are put away? We like to concentrate on plant combinations that add instant color and can hold their own for months on end. In the spring the containers could be calmed by transferring some of the plants to garden beds and filling the holes with bulbs.
Here are some of our favorite plant selections which may be mixed and matched to create striking contemporary container arrangements.
Twigs, hellebore and dwarf cypress. This container’s small size didn’t allow to get a dogwood plant, however the same effect is accomplished by employing dogwood twigs. (Ornamental twigs are often available at nurseries within the winter months.) The chartreuse green of this miniature cypress makes for a bold statement, and the container is finished off with a hellebore, which will flower throughout the winter. This is an easy, low-maintenance combination of textures and colours that complements this modern residence.
This container consists of:
Dogwood twigsDwarf gold cypress Hellebore
Purple kale and coral bells. A container next to the front door draws the eye to the house and can frequently divert attention from front lawn that lies dormant throughout the chilly months. This container bursts with color and texture, and the person plants could be repurposed in future containers transferred to new homes in the garden as soon as they outgrow the container.
This container consists of:
Fire twig dogwoodCorokiaPurple ornamental kaleCoral bells ‘Creme Brulee’Spurge ‘Black Bird’Gold carexScotch moss
Moss and dogwood. Vibrant green moss contrasts well with the vivid color of redtwig dogwood in this entryway container. This simple but effective combination of color and texture comes to life with the addition of pinecones. As spring rolls around, the dogwood could be transferred from the container into a more permanent place in a garden bed, in which it could grow to its full potential.
This container consists of:
Redtwig dogwoodSphagnum mossPinecones
Textural contrast with black mondo grass. Texture abounds in this container. The muted tones of black mondo grass and pinecones set off a backdrop of skimmia and dogwood twigs. This is a ideal low-maintenance addition to a little patio which could be enjoyed from the comfort of inside.
This container consists of:
Dogwood twigsSkimmiaBlack mondo grassPinecones
Year-round bamboo sticks. A simple combination of plants functions as a base to wood bamboo sticks in this container arrangement. The bamboo sticks are a permanent fixture which efficiently match seasonal plantings year-round.
This container consists of:
Timber bamboo polesSkimmiaMountain pepperCoral bells ‘Obsidian’
Moss and Phormium. A container planted with Phormium is a great focal point year-round, but the fronds can frequently get weighted down with snow in the colder climates. We’ve combatted this by introducing moss-covered twigs to add some support. Then we finished off the base by covering up a mass of hens-and-chicks using a light carpet of loose duvet. This container currently provides interest throughout winter and can easily be converted into a spring planter.
This container consists of:
PhormiumMossy twigsSphagnum mossHens-and-chicks
Black mondo grass contrasts with ornamental twigs. The dark stain of the fence on this website provided an chance for interesting color combinations in this container that was featured. The dark tones of mondo grass and coral bells match the surrounding color palette, while vivid yellow and reddish decorative rolls and also an acid-green cypress add brilliant intensity into the arrangement.
This container consists of:
Red and yellow ornamental twigsDwarf gold cypress Coral bellsLeatherleaf sedgeBlack mondo grass