How to Create Gorgeous Winter Container Pots

After the holidays are over, sometimes our front porch pots need freshening up. In today's blog, we're sharing ideas to have gorgeous container pots until spring.

Fresh greenery is a simple yet beautiful arrangement

Fresh cuttings are your best friend when it comes to winter container pots. Fresh cuttings of Magnolia, Holly, Pine, and Fir will last many weeks and help add "oomph" to a sparse pot. They take up room and fill the pot nicely. If you're adding plants to your pot as well, save adding fresh cuttings until the very end.

When planting in a pot, we usually follow the guidelines of "Thriller, Filler, and Spiller".

• The "thriller" is the main plant, usually tallest, in the center of the pot. Sometimes the pot isn't huge and you just have that plant and that's all (or a few "spillers").

• The "filler" is what accents around the main plant. This is often perennials or annuals, but could also be branches, pumpkins, pinecones- it just depends on the size of your pot and "thriller" plant, as well as the look you're going for.

• The "spillers" are what drape down out of the pot. They soften the look. When we get into warmer months, there are endless options of "spillers". In winter, we have several good options (shared below) and some of those include the fresh cuttings we mentioned above.

Hellebores are the "thriller" in this small pot, surrounded by greenery and pinecones

Plants that add great winter interest to a pot include:

Evergreens- Juniper, Boxwood, Holly- these are just a few of the options (thriller)

Dwarf Japanese Maple  (thriller)

Red Twig Dogwood  (thriller)

Harry Lauder's Walking Stick (thriller)

Hellebore (often a filler)

Pansies  (often a filler)

Dusty Miller  (often a filler)

Winter Creeper  (spiller)

Fresh cuttings, as mentioned above (thriller, filler, or spiller)

Plants that are planted in a pot don't usually grow to their mature size like they would in the ground. If you're planting something a bit larger, such as a dwarf Japanese Maple or Juniper, be sure to prune once a year or plan to possibly get a larger pot for it after a couple of years. We're happy to help answer questions on pot sizing at the nursery.

Fresh greenery, twigs, pinecones, and faux berries make a pretty and simple winter display

In addition, consider adding in any of these for a little extra "fluff":

twinkle lights

Pinecones

short twigs and/ or longer branches

Get creative and have fun creating gorgeous container pots this winter! We are here to offer advice if needed. We look forward to seeing you soon at your local nursery.