Winter Container Planting

This cloudy Sunday made me miss the beautiful fall days we have been having and really made me miss the beautiful sunshine from this summer! One of my favorite things as a landscapers wife is the beautiful pots Jamie prepares for clients and us alike. Winter brings a unique challenge to container planting and plants in general! Jamie purchased this enormous planter from Plant World about a year ago and I love it! This summer it was full of the most beautiful plants and after I emptied the planter it stayed empty for a few months so I was thrilled to come home and see Jamie working his magic. Here is the finished product.

To prepare the planter for winter you need to remove old plants and root systems, it is ok to leave the old soil but remove atleast a 1/3 of the top soil. Then you are going to add a small amount of fresh potting soil. Then it is time for plants!! Here is what all he used:

For height and fullness he used a Camellia Sasanqua 'Cotton Candy'. You  always want to use something like this or any other large evergreen to anchor your planter.

To contrast all the green plants, Jamie added a Loropetalum 'Purple Diamond'. This is a plant developed by Southern living and is part of their plant collection. 

To add texture next he used Liriope 'Evergeen Giant'. This adds an airy texture and another element with height.

These are my favorite, Snapdragons also know as dragon flowers. These add color right now with a second wave of color coming in early spring. 

The most popular winter flower the Pansy goes in next. These are hearty annuals that give color all season while holding up to the winter temperatures.

Lastly he added a plant that would give a cascading effect down the pot. This plant is called English Ivy and provides vertical dimension to the container to balance out the height of the Camellia.

Once you have completed planting fill in any voids or holes with additional potting soil. When asking him to tell me what all plants he has used he filled me in on a little secret beneath the surface.

After he planted all the plants he randomly placed small bulbs of Daffodils throughout the planter. He did this with his hands in the exact way pictured above. Place and then cover with potting soil. These will pop up in the spring!

The final steps to this container planting are fertilization and water. Add in a slow-release fertilizer, then water as needed. The plants will tell you when they need water but the first week they will need alittle more.

Happy Planting!!!

B