A winter planter is a container arrangement designed to provide continued visual interest when the garden enters its dormant season. These arrangements use durable materials to counter the drabness of cold weather, ensuring the landscape remains welcoming and structured throughout the winter months. The contents often change from live flowering plants to a mix of hardy greenery and non-living accents, offering a seasonal focal point.
Choosing Hardy Living Plants
Incorporating live plants into a winter planter requires selecting species with exceptional cold tolerance to survive the harsh environment above ground. A plant’s root system in a container is exposed to temperatures that can be significantly lower than the insulating earth. It is recommended to choose plants rated for at least two USDA hardiness zones colder than your local climate.
Dwarf conifers are excellent choices, offering permanent structure and year-round color. Varieties like Dwarf Alberta Spruce, certain low-growing junipers, or miniature false cypresses provide a strong vertical or mounding form. These evergreens maintain their foliage color, with some, like the ‘Blue Star’ juniper, contributing a distinct icy hue to the arrangement. Their slow growth habit makes them suitable for long-term container life with minimal maintenance.
Cold-tolerant foliage plants provide color that intensifies as temperatures drop. Ornamental cabbage and kale develop richer pink, purple, and white centers after a hard frost due to the cold stimulating pigment production. Coral bells, or Heuchera, are another foliage option, with leathery leaves in shades of deep burgundy, lime green, or caramel that remain vibrant through much of the winter. Heaths and heathers (Erica and Calluna) contribute fine texture and can even offer small pink or white blooms during milder winter spells.
Utilizing Cut and Natural Materials
Cut and natural materials are used because they do not require soil or water to remain visually appealing. These elements are arranged in a base of potting soil, sand, or sometimes floral foam, which provides a heavy, secure foundation that freezes solid. The arrangement often follows a “thriller, filler, spiller” design, with the tall elements acting as the thriller.
Colorful, leafless branches provide striking vertical lines and vibrant color against a snowy backdrop. Red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) and yellow twig dogwood are favored for their brilliant bark. Curly willow branches add architectural interest with their twisted, dark wood, offering a more sculptural element. These branches are inserted deeply into the planting medium to establish height and stability.
Evergreen boughs and sprigs of varying textures act as the filler and spiller components. Firs, such as Noble or Fraser, offer stiff, dark green needles and a pleasant scent, while cedar and pine boughs drape elegantly over the container’s edge. Mixing the feathery texture of cedar with the long needles of white pine provides depth and contrast. Soaking the cut ends of these greens in water for a few hours before arranging can help them stay fresh longer.
Natural accents complete the display, adding pops of color and texture. Large pinecones can be wired onto wooden skewers and inserted into the base for stable placement. Clusters of artificial or preserved berries, such as holly or winterberry, introduce bright red or orange highlights. Dried seed heads from plants like hydrangeas or globe thistle also lend a rustic, textural quality that complements the natural greens and branches.
Essential Preparation and Container Care
Any planter intended to remain outdoors must have a clear drainage hole to allow excess water to escape. Raising the container slightly off the ground, perhaps with pot feet or wooden blocks, prevents the drainage hole from freezing shut and trapping water.
The material of the container is a significant factor in surviving the freeze-thaw cycles of winter. Porous materials like unglazed terra cotta or some ceramics are susceptible to absorbing moisture, which expands when frozen, causing the container to crack or spall. Frost-resistant materials such as fiberglass, plastic, metal, or concrete are safer choices for year-round outdoor display.
Even in winter, evergreens in the container require occasional watering, especially during periods of dry, sunny, or windy weather. Evergreens continue to lose moisture through their foliage, but their frozen roots cannot absorb replacement water, leading to desiccation or “winter burn.” Watering the soil thoroughly during a mid-winter thaw helps replenish this lost moisture. Placing the planters in a sheltered location, such as against a south-facing wall, can mitigate the effects of harsh, drying winds and extreme temperature fluctuations.