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How to perk up your garden patio with rich winter containers

By The Press Association Nov 3, 2021

Plant silvers, reds and golds for a dazzling look.

When it comes to winter, there are plenty of ways to enhance your outdoor space with seasonal plants that have rich foliage, vibrant colours and architectural style.

And there’s still time to plant up containers to brighten the dull days of winter, whether clustered together on your patio, dressing up your front door or giving some life to shady corners.

Add plants with berries for colour and small ornamental grasses to create movement – and don’t worry if the brilliant pansies and violas sulk during the coldest months, because they will re-emerge to give you a splash of good cheer in spring.

Plants don’t tend to grow as fast in winter, so don’t be worried about cramming them in pots closer than you would with your summer container plants.

You can have fun with the containers themselves but when it comes to plants, whether you prefer stylish silvers, rustic reds or glamorous golds, there are plenty of plants to choose from to complete your vision.

Marcus Eyles, horticultural director of Dobbies Garden Centres outlines his top picks for winter and explains the best way to pot and care for your plants.

Icy silvers

To achieve a cool winter landscape in frosty tones, opt for plants such as Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’, Echeveria ‘Perle von Nurnberg’ and Eucalyptus gunnii.

Eyles recommends pairing these with hardy ferns and trailing ivy for a winter wonderland look and feel, and to really make an impact you can pot them in sleek silver containers.

Ruby reds

If you love all things traditional, there’s no better way to brighten up your garden this winter than with a pop of festive red.

Plants such as Skimmia rubella, Gaultheria ‘Very Berry’ and Erica ‘Kramer’s Red’ will lend a touch of warmth to your greenery and ornamental grasses, and pair beautifully with heuchera. Eyles suggests mixing a variety of warm seasonal tones to create a showstopping effect.

Rich golds

A combination of plants in a winter pot (Dobbies Garden Centres/PA)

Bring sunshine back to your garden this winter with gorgeous gold plants and containers. Eyles’ favourite plants to introduce some light back into your winter greenery include Chamaecyparis ‘Ellwood’s Gold’, Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’ and Thymus ‘Golden Queen’.

For maximum effect, pot these in gold containers and contrast them with dark shades of ajuga and Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ for a striking display.

Get the look

When it comes to planting your new garden additions, Eyles offers this step-by-step guide to ensure you make the most of your new plants and containers.

Gaultheria in a pot (Alamy/PA)

Winter berries brighten up pots

1. Select the container you would like to use for your display, making sure you consider size, material and colour. Look for frost-proof terracotta, great for colder months, contemporary eco pots made from recycled plastic and classic glazed ceramic pots in a selection of colours.

2. Put a layer of large stones or broken pots into the base of the container to stop soil from running through the drainage hole. Drainage is very important.

3. Fill the pot approximately half full with a mix of 80% peat free compost and 20% perlite, making sure you firm the compost mix as you go. The perlite will aid drainage in case of heavy rainfall over winter.

4. Make sure all your plants are well watered before you start putting them in the pot.

5. Place your plants into the container so the top of the root balls are 2cm below the rim of the pot. Then, fill the pot with more of the compost mix around the roots and firm well.

6. Place your pot on pot feet to ensure adequate drainage in the winter months.

7. Water your pot well.

Winter pansy (Alamy/PA)

Top tip: Plant winter bedding plants like pansies and violas at the top of the pot for instant colour, and for added colour plant spring flowering bulbs like crocus, daffodils and tulips. You’ll be thankful in March when they start to bloom.

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