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| NOVEMBER 2006 | VISIT ALL ABOUT PLANTERS | CONTAINER GARDENING TIPS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Here's a unique approach to holiday decor—topiary in a golden urn. Visit Horchow for more beautiful holiday planters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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What you see depends on
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The Secret is out...With the continued growth in popularity of container gardening, a big secret has been revealed. Enjoying your garden, in containers that is, doesn't end with the last dead annuals and fallen leaves. Once the fall clean-up is finished, it's time to create planters with winter-hardy arrangements to place around your home and garden—more challenging is some regions than others, but well-worth the effort. If you have a protected area like a balcony, covered deck or entranceway you should be able to find plants and shrubs that will remain healthy and attractive through the cold season. (See the tips on creating winter containers below.) Winter containers aren't fussy, they don't need regular watering, weeding and fertilizing, so you can spend more time enjoying them. Depending on your region, your fall clean-up is now complete after another succcessful season of container gardening. Or if you're like me in the Pacific northwest, you're still waiting for the rain to stop long enough to clean up the late-season stragglers. In this region we're fortunate that it's only been rain and no hard blasts of cold have arrived yet to finish off the geraniums that are still managing to put out new flowers. Although they've lost ground in favor of many newer plants in our containers, geraniums are still hardy bloomers that provide extended color in planters when all their 'planter mates' have turned brown and weather-beaten. Through the holiday season, it's great to have some containers to dress up with holiday decor for a little added cheer—combine live plants, pinecones, faux plant leaves and flowers (not just poinsettas) and some sparkling Christmas ornaments to create your own unique holiday display. In this issue... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Design Tips for Container GardensPart II : Color in Containers
Look at the color wheel above and select your favorite color, then review the color schemes below to decide what effect you would like to create with your planters. Finally, follow the information under 'Characteristics' to learn how to create the effect with a grouping of flower and foliage and take this information to the garden center when you're ready to purchase. You can use the same color scheme for all of your planters, using different plants to avoid boring repetition, or create multiple groupings using different color schemes. Keep in mind that factors besides the color of the flowers and plants will affect whether or not they pleasing to your eye—color(s) of the container, color of surrounding natural environment, structures or walls, the color of the surface the container sits on, and finally, how much space the containers occupy. As you can see, color does not simply exist by itself. It is greatly affected—positively or negatively—by everything around it. The exercise of looking at your plants in the 'big picture' rather than looking at them as isolated elements will help you in all aspects of designing attractive container gardens. The biggest secret of successful and interesting use of color in any garden setting is willingness to experiment—stretch the 'rules'—and above all plant what you like to look at!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Create a Colorful Winter Planter
To create your winter display:
Select a large, attractive anchor plant for the center—good choices would be a shrub such as evergreen azalea, Japanese holly, Mexican orange, Skimmia 'Rubella' or a dwarf conifer tree, or a cold-hardy ornamental grass. Surround your anchor plant with a variety of plants with interesting foliage and color. The dull winter light can stand a little extra contrast in textures and colors, so be bold! Keep in mind the plants will not be growing during the winter, so you add more, and larger plants, than you would normally add to your summer planters. Excellent choices include:
Remember, drainage is crucial for your winter pots, especially if they are not under cover. Rain water collects quickly in containers and drowns your plants. Be sure the drainage hole can run clear, add a coffee filter over the drainage hole, and mix in a little gravel and sand into the potting soil. As winter sets in and the potting soil freezes, stop watering. Water only in winter when the soil remains unfrozen and approaches dryness. If you have a heavy snowfall, gently remove the snow from the plants, particularly dwaf trees and shrubs, to avoid breakage. P. Allen Smith's Container Gardens : 60 Container Recipes to Accent Your Garden
If your region is just too darn cold to consider outdoor winter planters, then be sure to get your Amaryllis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Winter Reading ListTime again for my annual picks for must-read books on container gardening. Add these books to your winter reading list, or give for gifts to your favorite gardening friends. For more suggestions, visit a complete selection of container and small-space gardening books section of our site.
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Give the Gift
Move any containers that are not specified cold-hardy or frostproof indoors before the first freeze. If you're not sure, don't take a chance, move it indoors.
RELATED SITES
There are two important things to know about color in the garden—first, rules about color provide a 'safe' starting point at most; and secondly, you should plant whatever you like (provided it suits the growing conditions). It's the second point that usually challenges new and experienced gardeners alike when they don't trust their own personal preferences and taste. I believe you should always buy the plants you like. If you like the plant, you're more likely to enjoy your container gardens. Color should only become an issue when you are trying to create a specific theme or a particular visual feeling in your planter designs.
It's not officially winter yet—so it's the perfect time to get ready for the cold, often dreary days ahead by preparing some attractive containers to provide visual interest. Most garden centers will still have a variety of plants and shrubs that are suitable for creating displays to enjoy right through until spring—with the added bonus that many of these plants can easily be transferred into the garden when warmer weather comes. As a guide, it is recommended that plants placed in winter containers be two zones lower in cold hardiness than the hardiness zone they are to be grown in.
Start with a good-sized pot—the larger the better—for greater insulation provided by the potting soil around the plants’ roots. This increases your chances of success and reduces stress on the plants’ roots. And, make sure the container is cold hardy and will not crack when the soil freezes and expands—consider 
Be sure to layer in some spring-flowering bulbs such as snowdrops, crocus, grape hyacinth dwarf irises, dwarf narcissus and of course, some tulips. Bulbs will provide an early sign that it's time to start all over again and prepare your planters for spring planting.
has a number of attractive designs for winter planters if you're stumped for ideas.
During the holiday season, dress up your winter planters—don't forget the window boxes around your home—by adding cedar and pine boughs, holly with red berries, pine cones and grape or berry twigs. Your local nursery will offer bags of different boughs, leaves, fruits and berries to use for adding to your planters. For a real festive display, add some of your Christmas decorations such as colorful baubles, bows and ribbons. Don't overload the planter, a few additions will go a long way in creating an eye-catching presentation.
