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Jessica Walliser
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Winterize a Garden: How to Protect Plants from Frost & Snow – Garden Therapy
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One day you’re sweating while weeding, the next you’re wearing a jacket for the morning chill. When we feel the cold beginning to settle in, it’s a good idea to start prepping your garden for its hibernation. Here’s how to protect plants from frost and snow this coming cold season.
Vancouver is a temperate rainforest, meaning my winters tend to look a little more green than white. But that doesn’t mean we never get snow. Once or twice during the winter, we’ll get a big snow dump that usually shuts down the city.
We can still get our cold snaps. Just last year, we set a record for the coldest January yet. Many people lost shrubs and perennials that had survived many prior winters, as they just weren’t ready to handle those extreme temperatures.
While you can just leave your garden to its own devices for the winter, you may experience some losses once everything thaws come spring. You can avoid the disappointment by taking a few steps to winterize your garden. We’ve got to keep our plant babies safe after all.
Here’s how to protect plants from frost and get ready for the winter season!
Containers are less insulated than ground plants and need more care to winterize. Garden Prep Ahead of the Winter Season
Before the cold really sets in, you can set your plants up for success. Here are a few things to be aware of to prepare a garden for winter.
Add a Layer of Mulch
Mulch is one of the best and easiest ways to winterize a garden and protect plants from freezing. Adding a two-to-four-inch layer of mulch can help protect the roots beneath from freezing. Think of it like a nice cozy blanket for the plants.
Add a layer to the base of trees, shrubs, and perennials. Keep the base of the trunk clear to prevent rotting. There are many natural mulches you can use, including fallen leaves and straw. It’s good practice to remove some or all of the mulch in the spring when things begin to warm up.
Opt for natural mulch that will work its way into your soil come spring. Overwinter Tender Plants
Most of my plants I leave outside to fend for themselves, but there are a few special plants I like to bring inside or move for the winter. Succulents thrive in warm conditions, but there are some hardy succulents that actually love a cold period.
Many sedums, sempervivum, agave, ice plant, lewisa, and yucca will overwinter in Zone 5-6 plus. If I have these planted, I’ll leave them in the ground and clean them up in the spring. If they’re in pots, I’ll move them under cover, such as under a deck.
Any tender succulents should be brought inside.
I also bring in some of my more tender herbs. Most of my annuals I’ll say goodbye to and plant again in the spring. The ones that do the best when brought inside include mint, thyme, and oregano. Others, like basil, you can take a clipping to propagate and bring indoors.
Of course, you may have more tender plants you want to bring inside (a tropical perhaps?). Most plants in pots may need some extra care and protection.
Clean up any plants you bring indoors to prevent the spread of pests and disease. Winterize Your Water
To avoid the horror stories of burst pipes and flooded basements, it’s good practice to turn off your outdoor faucets. This can be done by locating the shut-off valves (usually inside the house) and turning them off, then returning outside and turning the faucets on to drain the remaining water.
You should also ensure your hoses and nozzles are properly drained and stored. And if you have a water feature, such as a fountain or pond, winterize it as well.
Add Winter Interest Plants
While this may not be an absolute must, I am giving you an excuse to visit the garden centre and take advantage of an end-of-season sale. In early to mid-fall, you still have time to plant some perennials. Ideally, you should do this six weeks before the first hard frost. This gives the plant some time to establish roots and settle in before the winter.
Look for shrubs that will provide some winter interest and beauty, such as witch hazel or cotoneaster. Find more inspiration in this post.
Garden Management During the Winter
While most of winter is spent hibernating inside and getting cozy, you may still need to get outside from time to time to check on your plants.
Plants in Snow
If you’ve ever shovelled snow, then you just know how heavy it can be. Imagine the weight on the plants! When you experience a large snowfall, it’s good practice to brush off the snow from your shrubs (don’t shake) and lower tree branches to help lessen the weight. Otherwise, you may end up with broken branches or even smothered smaller plants.
If you have newer shrubs or trees that may be more vulnerable, you can stake them with wooden or metal supports for the winter. It’s also a good idea to selectively prune young plants to maintain a good and strong structure as they grow older.
You can also tie branches together to help them withstand the impact of snow. This works best for young evergreen trees, where you can bundle up the branches and secure them to the trunk.
Shovel and sweep heavy snow away from plants. Avoid Using Road Salt
Vancouver’s solution to snow often comes in the form of road salt, which is a nightmare for gardeners, since it can be toxic to plants. Road salt readily dissolves in snow melt and water, absorbing into the soil. This can cause plants to turn yellow, send out suckers, become more susceptible to pests and diseases, or just die.
The salt spray can also hurt the upper part of plants, mainly causing browning and bud dieback, leading to a loss of leaves, flowers, or fruit the following spring.
Use alternatives like sand or fine gravel. More ideas and tips here on road salt damage.
A rosemary plant in the snow. How to Protect Plants From Frost
Overall, I don’t worry too much about a frost since it’s part of the gardening experience. I say goodbye to my annuals and trust that my perennials will be just fine.
That being said, sometimes extreme cold can be in the forecast, and you may want to provide some extra protection in addition to the mulch you would have applied in the fall and early winter.
If you can move potted plants, bring them into the garage, a shed, or somewhere else where they might have protection. You can also add some frost protection, such as row cover or burlap, to give any of the more tender plants more insulation.
Bonus: Winter Planters
To get a little bit of garden therapy in during the winter, why not make some winter-themed planters? I love to use the cold to my advantage and create planters with evergreen boughs that will last for months.
Here’s a holiday-themed one I did, and a winter window box planter that you can make (even if you don’t have a window box!).
Preparing a Garden for Winter FAQ
What is the best thing to cover plants for frost?I always like to use inexpensive materials you may already have. A simple sheet or old blanket can be a great frost cover, as can burlap or even cardboard. And don’t forget how valuable natural mulch can be!
Should I water my plants before I cover them for a freeze?Watering plants before a frost is actually a good practice and can help protect plants from freezing. Water can absorb and hold heat, helping to keep the soil and roots warmer than the air above. Dry soil and conditions won’t hold the heat as well, and cause the plant to lose water.
Even during the winter, your plants need moisture. Snow provides plenty of moisture in the winter, which usually means you don’t have to worry about watering. But if conditions are dry, you may need to water.
Check your soil first by placing your finger in the soil to the first knuckle. If it’s dry, water your plant at the base, avoiding getting the leaves wet. Only water the plant in temperatures of 4°C or higher (40°F).
Does snow protect plants?While it may seem contrary, snow and plants are a great pair. Snow primarily consists of air (about 90-95%), making it a great insulator against cold temperatures. It also helps to prevent temperature fluctuations that can confuse your plant. If you have a sudden cold snap coming, a blanket of snow can help protect your plants against it if it precedes the cold.
Rhododendron bud in snow. Keep Your Green Thumb Busy This Winter
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
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Stephanie Rose
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Why You Need to Plant Garlic This October (And How to Get BIG Bulbs)
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Why You Need to Plant Garlic in October (And How to Get BIG Bulbs)
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Niki Jabbour
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10 Gardening Tips to Save Money on Groceries This Fall
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10 Gardening Tips to Save Money on Groceries This Fall
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Niki Jabbour
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How to Compost – the Easy Way! – Garden Therapy
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Composting is an environmentally friendly way to improve your garden soil and reduce waste. Yard waste and table scraps can make up a large part of household garbage which could be turned into nutrient-rich amendments for your garden with the right compost recipe. Here’s everything you need to know to learn how to compost properly.
Even if you only have a small garden, learning how to compost is one of the most important activities you can do to save money and prevent waste from unnecessarily ending up in a landfill.
Some people mistakenly assume that compostable materials thrown in the garbage will break down and feed the soil in the landfill. But throwing vegetable and garden scraps in the trash means they will be surrounded by garbage and not have the proper recipe to decompose. Instead, it releases harmful methane gas into the environment.
Composting isn’t difficult, but it isn’t as simple as just throwing your kitchen scraps and garden cuttings into a heap and checking on it a year later. Eventually, those items will break down and create compost, but it is much faster, cleaner, and more effective when you know the proper compost recipe.
So, let’s learn how to compost, shall we?
This post will cover…
The key components of successful composting. How to Make Compost
Healthy compost results from a combination of four ingredients: greens, browns, air, and moisture.
1. Greens (Energy Materials)
Add 1 part of greens. Green compost ingredients are those with higher nitrogen content, such as grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and garden trimmings.
These materials rot quickly and contain the compounds needed for fast microbial growth. They are usually quite wet and heavy and can get stinky fast unless you balance them with enough brown material.
2. Browns (Bulking Agents)
Add 2-3 parts of browns. Brown compost ingredients are those with higher carbon content, such as paper, shredded woody material, and straw.
Browns are dry and bulky, allowing air to reach the greens. They do not decay rapidly without greens because they do not hold enough moisture.
Are Fallen Leaves a “Brown” for Composting?
Colour alone is not a good indication of what is considered brown materials. Deciduous leaves that have fallen and turned brown, as well as chopped-up tree and shrub clippings, have higher nitrogen balance than true “browns.”
Leaves and chopped-up clippings are excellent for compost and can decompose readily on their own, without needing additional greens or browns. You can choose to compost these materials from the garden on their own or mixed in with the 1 part green / 2-3 part brown mixture.
Just be sure not to replace the browns with fallen leaves, or your compost will be too wet and stinky.
Colour alone does not indicate whether it is a “green” or “brown” compost ingredient. 3. Air
Packing layers of green and brown materials into a compost bin will not make compost alone. Air needs to be introduced by turning the compost with a fork, an aeration tool, or a rolling composter.
As the microbes work to break down the materials, the compost heap will become warm. The heat in the middle of the pile can reach up to 150 degrees F.
Turning the compost once a week should be plenty, but to speed up the process, mix the compost every few days to introduce more air and move materials from the edges to the middle.
4. Moisture
Moisture is also necessary to give the microbes the best possible conditions to break down the material. After adding the materials, water the compost pile and mix it well. It should be damp but not soggy. In dry months, you may have to add water, and in wet months, you may have to protect the compost from rain.
You don’t want dry not do you want sopping wet compost. How Do I Use Compost?
Now that you know how simple it is to make compost, let’s chat about what you actually do with it.
I love the look and feel of compost. It’s rich, black, light, and fluffy to the touch. When I pick it up, I just know that it will be pure gold for my plants and my garden.
Creating your compost rather than buying it means you’ll have more of the specific nutrients and organisms that your plants and soil need. You can use it as a soil amendment, fertilizer, and as mulch.
Amend soil with compost manually or more often when you have compost readily available. Spread compost in a thick layer over the soil when the garden is not productive. Compost doesn’t need to be scratched in or turned into the top layer of the soil.
Turning the compost in only disturbs the network of microorganisms already living in the soil. Better yet, add compost directly over the mulch layer that protects soil and decomposes itself.
When I’m adding a new plant to the garden, I also like to mix in a little bit of compost at the bottom of the hole I dug to give the plant an extra boost of nutrients. I really never use fertilizer for my garden plants, instead opting for compost.
You can also make a compost tea. This is a liquid made from steeping or brewing your compost in water to extract beneficial organisms and water-soluble nutrients. Then, it’s applied as a foliar spray to help with plant diseases or as a soil drench, which applies diluted concentrations of soil microorganisms and nutrients.
Choosing a Compost Bin
Compost bins are another major part of learning how to compost. You need to find the right bin to suit your needs; one won’t work for everyone. It depends on your available space and how much compost you’ll need.
You can have one big compost bin or many small ones. The goal is to ensure it’s accessible and easy to add and aerate.
One of my personal favourites is a vermicomposting bin. These work great for small spaces and those who want a closed system. It relies almost entirely on the power of worms, and you’ll get some pretty amazing organic matter for your soil.
Here are some other options for compost bins:
- Electric composters are great for those in apartments with minimal or no deck space.
- Compost piles where you simply pile it all together are great for homesteads with lots of need and space.
- Wood slat bins help to keep things contained and aerated if critters are not a problem.
- If critters are a problem, critter-proof bins with lids are good for urban areas.
- Rolling composters are also good for urban areas with their closed bins. The bin rolls to help compost degrade faster.
What Will Make Compost Break Down Faster?
Some materials are full of microbes, bacteria, fungi, soil insects, mites, and worms that will speed up the decomposition process. Add just a small portion of one of these compost amendments to really get the party started.
- Mushroom manure
- Well-rotted manure (not pet waste)
- Healthy garden soil
- Compost accelerating plants such as alpine strawberry, alfalfa, black elderberry, calendula, chamomile, comfrey, dandelion, hollyhock, oak bark, sage, stinging nettle, valerian, and yellow dock
A compost pile can be this simple, as long as you regularly aerate it and watch its moisture levels. What Should You Not Put in Compost?
Not everything can go in your home compost bin, although some of these can go in city or county large-scale industrial compost bins where the temperatures are consistently hot enough to kill pathogens and seeds.
Before you compost these items, be sure to check your local composting regulations.
- Pesticides and herbicides – Keep your garden healthy without introducing pesticides and herbicides into the compost bin.
- Compostable grocery bags – These should not go in your home compost bin despite the name. Use brown paper bags instead.
- Evergreen clippings – Some evergreens take a long time to compost at home, and some resins can slow down and/or inhibit the composting process.
- Meat, bones, dairy, or animal product food scraps – The home compost doesn’t get hot enough to break these down effectively, and it will attract pests, like rats, to the compost pile.
- Pet waste – Dog and cat poop can carry pathogens that could be transferred to the soil.
- Diseased plant material – Diseased or infested plants may perpetuate the incidence of disease and pests in future years.
- Weeds that have gone to seed – Compost may not get hot enough to sterilize weed seeds.
- Large logs, thorny branches – Big, woody items will be too large to break down. Chip or grind all large, woody materials instead.
- Poison ivy, invasive weeds, and other noxious plants – Don’t risk spreading these plants by composting them.
This compost tumbler was the solution to stopping rats from invading my compost bin. Composting Shouldn’t Be Gross
If you think composting is yucky or dirty, you aren’t doing it right! Compost should smell fresh, sweet, and earthy. Overly stinky compost is not properly balanced, but it is an easy fix.
Too many greens in your compost will become soggy and smell bad. Compost can also start to stink when it is too wet. In both cases, adding more brown materials and turning your compost to introduce air will help to remedy the problem.
Fruit Flies, Maggots, and Rats, Goodbye!
While composting aims to attract insects and fungi to your compost bin, you shouldn’t need to fight off an army of critters to get into the compost. The best defense against an overly active compost bin is, again, balance.
If you follow this compost recipe and keep a layer of brown on top of the compost, you will only attract those critters that will work for you to make healthy, nutritious compost.
Compost shouldn’t be overly stinky or attract pests. Frequently Asked Questions About How to Compost
How long does it take to make compost?Compost can take as little as four weeks to make or as long as a year. Ultimately, the more work you put in, the faster your compost degrades. While you can just toss everything together in a heap and wait a year, you can speed up the process.
If you work to accelerate and aerate your compost bin, you will have compost quickly. Quick composting is when you accelerate compost by adding plants.
Traditionally, this combines dried nettle, dandelion, chamomile, yarrow, valerian, and oak bark. The plants are dried, crushed into a powder, and sprinkled on layers between compost. This will give you compost in 4-6 weeks.
What happens if you let compost sit too long?Generally, compost can sit for a long time without any worry. It won’t stink or rot when it’s properly taken care of by controlling the moisture levels.
However, compost can lose potency over time. The nutrients leach, and the compost will turn finer and finer as the microorganisms get to work. Too much moisture can cause the compost to rot and grow fungi. And if your compost is in a pile and not in a bin, it could disappear altogether, becoming part of the soil.
Should compost be in the sun or shade?Your compost will be okay in the sun or shade if you properly manage it. Sun speeds up the composting process since it raises the overall temperature. However, it will dry out faster. You may find that you need fewer carbon materials for bins in the sun and need to add water frequently.
Compost bins in the shade will be prone to staying damp and won’t be as warm. In this case, you may need to aerate it more often and add more carbon materials to help accelerate it.
Other Tips for Smart Composting
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
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Stephanie Rose
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The Complete Fall Garden Checklist
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After a busy summer season of growing and producing, the garden needs some attention in the fall to maintain its beauty and health. There are a few simple fall gardening tasks that can make all the difference. Read on to see how I work the fall garden, building structure and health as a foundation for the next season.
Now that the temperature is getting cooler and the sunlight hours are shorter, it’s time to start your fall garden preparation. Many gardeners do all the heavy lifting to prepare a garden in spring, but planning and gardening in the fall are not only good for your garden, but they’re also economical!
I’ve written a lot on fall gardening, so I decided to put it all together into one convenient resource guide so that you can have all of my advice for the season at your fingertips. This fall garden checklist is a handy guide to help you wrap up your garden for winter and get ready for next year.
Your checklist includes:
Leaving parts of your garden alone is a beneficial thing to do! Let leaves go yellow and seed heads harden. By leaving plenty of healthy plant material in your garden, you help to feed garden wildlife over the winter months.
Native insects will hibernate in the leaves or leave behind eggs to hatch come spring. And when those insects emerge with warming weather, the newly returned birds will have something to munch on!
Plants naturally drop their leaves to feed the roots as they decompose. Be sure to leave some of the leaves on the soil until spring so the plants can get their nutrient boost. Seeds left in the garden provide food for birds, so allow some to drop and stay.
Beautiful seed heads (like alliums) also add winter interest, and you will be grateful to have not cut everything back to the ground.
Leaves provide a natural nutrient boost and mulch to the soil. Mulching in the fall creates a warm blanket on the top of the soil that slowly breaks down into humus that will feed the soil.
If you have deciduous trees on your property, mulching is easy. Let the leaves fall on the garden and leave them there as mulch. You could also mulch leaves with a lawnmower or leaf vacuum, and spread the chopped-up leaves on the soil.
In the spring, the mulched leaves can be left in place when you add a layer of compost or topsoil. They will continue to feed the soil as they break down.
Remove Diseased Material
It’s good practice to remove any diseased plant material or fallen fruit to stop the spread of pests and disease in the following year.
This job should really be done throughout the year, but in the fall it is especially important to remove anything that would like to overwinter in your garden and can cause you problems in the spring.
My Carolina Allspice, which mysteriously died, needed to be trimmed. Plant Spring Bulbs
To get a bright burst of colour come spring, you’ll need to put in some work during the fall! Many of your favourite spring flowers, such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, alliums, and crocus, all need to be planted in the fall to get that cold burst.
Shop catalogues or visit your garden stores to find the bulbs that you want to plant in your garden next spring. Here are some ideas of bulbs and locations to plant them that might be helpful:
All spring bulbs need to be planted in the fall. Grow Fall and Winter Vegetables
Vegetable gardening doesn’t have to end in the fall. If you didn’t get as large a harvest as you were hoping, there are some super speedy and frost-hardy vegetables out there that can grow before the winter chill sets in.
Here are some resources on fall garden plants and last-minute vegetables you can grow in the fall, as well as overwintering favourites like garlic and broad beans.
Garlic is planted in the fall to be harvested around July. Harvest
Possibly the most exciting garden task in the fall is harvesting. With armloads of fresh flowers and baskets of produce everywhere, you are set to the task of reaping what you have sown back at the beginning of the gardening year.
Celebrate your success and then get down to the business of harvesting and preserving herbs, vegetables, and flowers.
Extras from your harvest? Preserve them! Save the Seeds
As your plants go to seed, it’s time to collect them! Take a look at your favourite flowers and vegetables from the season and see what you would like to include in next year’s garden.
Collect only seeds from the strongest, high-yielding plants so next year’s garden is even better than this one.
Try to collect some extra seeds to share with friends, family, and through your neighbourhood seed library. See how to in these articles on seed collecting:
And here are some free printable envelopes for your seeds (including an adorable Valentine):
Let your seeds dry completely before storing them. Preserve the Ornamental Garden
If you’re anything like me, you’ll need a stash of natural crafting supplies to last you through the winter. From creating natural beauty recipes to infusing natural elements throughout the home, I make sure to browse my garden for supplies.
Preserve flowers, leaves, and seed pods for crafting so you will have all the materials to make handmade gifts, wreaths, or home and garden decor.
Chive and allium heads are some of the most beautiful ornamentals. Plant Your Shrubs
Fall means it is time to plant shrubs and evergreens. The best time of year for planting is when the warm soil and cold air help to develop a strong enough root system so that they can get through the winter in their new homes.
When spring comes, the plant will be ready to send out new growth and blooms. Check out this list of 10 Hardy Shrubs You Can’t Kill.
Shrubs are often on discount in the fall as well. Amend Soil
The garden has been working hard all summer to produce and has drawn a lot of nutrition from the soil to make those gorgeous blooms and tasty fruit. Give some of that nutrition back by amending garden soil in the fall.
Make your own compost at home using a compost bin to turn leaves, food scraps, and more into a soil amendment. Spread the compost around the garden and scratch it into the top 1”-2” of soil. From there, it will do the hard work for you.
Fall is the perfect time to amend your soil. You can scratch in an inch of compost everywhere, or brew some of your own compost tea. Plenty more details in these articles:
Add layers of compost on top, rather than disrupting the soil by mixing it in. Fall Lawn Care
Take care of your lawn. If you think of what the natural life cycle is of grass—without us mowing it—the plants would have flowered, set seed, and dropped the seeds to the ground in order to supply new growth for the following year
As you have likely been mowing your lawn instead of letting it grow long and go to seed, it needs your help in order to continue filling in and replacing old plants.
In the fall, you should spread seeds over the lawn with a light dusting of soil over top. For more about how to care for your lawn, please see the organic guide to lawn care.
Fall is the perfect time to fill patchy areas of grass. Plan Your Garden (on a Budget)
It’s never too late to start your fall garden! Another way to build your garden economically is to shop for new plants in the fall.
Many of the garden centres will be closing their doors for the year, or at least moving out the warm-season stock. They don’t want to spend the time and effort taking care of the plants until next spring, so all fall garden plants will be heavily discounted.
Even better news is that fall is the perfect time to plant perennials, evergreens, trees, and shrubs! Read more about that here: Fall Perennial Gardening: Garden Design on a Budget
Get some fall annuals while you’re at it! Divide Perennials
One of the ways to save money in the garden is to get your plants for free! Dividing perennials increases your plant stock but also helps them to fill in, improve blooming, and avoid overcrowding. For the healthiest perennials, dividing them in the fall is an essential fall task.
Not all perennials need to be cut back, but take stock of those that are looking overcrowded or too large for the space. Many perennials thrive by being divided, especially if they are crowded.
To divide perennials, dig up the plant and all of its roots. Then, gently shake the soil from the roots and look for where the plant can easily be split into divisions. Plant those around your garden in the fall, and they will look gorgeous next year.
You want to divide your perennials when they’re under the least amount of stress, which usually is the fall. Move Tender Plants Inside
If you have any special plants that aren’t the right hardiness for your zone, now is the time to move them inside to a garage, greenhouse, or inside the house. Personally, I like to bring some of my herbs and succulents inside!
Tender plants are best planted in pots so you can move them for the cold season. Fall is a great time to give your garden tools a good scrubbing. Wash hand tools like trowels and rakes with soapy water and a scouring sponge. Use a power washer to get large tools really clean. And take good care of your pruners with these tips to clean and sharpen pruners.
You will also want to wrap up your garden hose, making sure to fully drain it of any water before curling it up. Take a look through your garden and make sure you bring in any tools that may have been left out for the summer.
Make sure everything is fully dry before storing it. Winterize your Water Feature
Don’t forget the water! Your fountain or pond will need some fall care as well, and you can see how to do in this guide. Some places may also want to consider turning off water to their outdoor faucets to prevent potential freezing.
Water features need special attention before the cold sets in. Free Fall Garden Checklist Printable
Whew! There you have it! A whole lot of tips and tasks for gardening in the fall for a gorgeous backyard. Did I miss something or do you have a question about your garden specifically? Leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to get you some answers!
In the meantime, if you’d like a FREE printable of the fall garden checklist, click the download button below.
Download the Fall Garden Checklist Printable
More Fall Gardening Tips
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
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Stephanie Rose
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When to Harvest Dill: A Step-by-Step Guide
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When to Harvest Dill: A Step-by-Step Guide
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When to Cut Back Catmint and How to Do It Right: 3 Options
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When to Cut Back Catmint and How to Do It Right: 3 Options
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Why Are My Cucumbers Curling? Common Causes and Solutions
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Why Are My Cucumbers Curling? Common Causes and Solutions
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Jessica Walliser
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How Often Should You Water New Shrubs?
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How Often Should You Water New Shrubs?
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Tara Nolan
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Best plants for winter hanging baskets: 25 varieties – Growing Family
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If you’re keen to make your garden look good in winter months, one of the simplest ways to do it is to plant up some winter hanging baskets and pots. This guide to the best plants for winter hanging baskets has a great range of plants to help you create a lovely winter display.
What plants are best for hanging baskets in winter?
In this post you’ll find lots of plants for winter hanging baskets that will provide you with flowers or beautiful foliage throughout winter. I’ve also included planting and care tips to help you get the best show from your winter hanging basket plants, plus some suggestions for great plant combinations. Hanging baskets can look great in old properties or can brighten up new homes.
Why you should grow winter hanging baskets
We might be using our gardens less at this time of year, but that doesn’t mean we have to ignore them completely. Growing plants in containers and outdoor hanging baskets is a simple way to keep your winter garden looking good, without having to spend lots of time out there.
As well as being low maintenance and ideal for beginner gardeners, winter hanging baskets are perfect if your outdoor space is limited. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can use hanging baskets to green up your doorway, patio or balcony. In a small garden, hanging baskets can significantly increase the amount of planting space you can access, allowing you to create a bigger display of plants without taking up any room at ground level.
Container gardening is relatively low cost too. You can even create your own hanging baskets by upcycling household objects. Old colanders work brilliantly, or you could add some drainage holes to the bottom of an old watering can.
A winter hanging basket is also great way to garden for wildlife. Adding winter hanging baskets to your garden will help you to carry on supporting your local species, providing a source of food and shelter for all manner of creatures at this tough time of year.
And of course, gardening on a small scale is perfect when it comes to gardening for kids. Their little hands can cope really well with hanging baskets – in fact in my experience, they’re actually better at planting them than the grown-ups!
Can hanging baskets survive winter?
Don’t assume that outdoor hanging baskets are only for the warmer months of the year.
While lots of hanging basket plants will struggle in cold weather, there are plenty of fantastic winter plants for hanging baskets to choose for colder months.
Just make sure you go for varieties that can cope with cold weather – these are usually referred to as ‘hardy’ plants. If you choose winter hardy container plants, you’re well on the way towards creating a winter hanging basket that looks great and is easy to take care of.
When should I plant a winter hanging basket?
The ideal time to plant a winter hanging basket is late autumn. Doing it at this point in the year will allow the plants to get established before winter arrives, and it will also mean they are ready to take over from your autumn plants at just the right time.
Having said that, don’t worry if it’s already winter and you haven’t done any planting. It’s fine to plant up winter hanging baskets at any point in winter, and also in early spring. Do bear in mind that the later you plant, the later your basket will be putting on a show.
A clever trick for hanging basket plants
When you choose your plants, remember this clever rule: Thriller, Filler, Spiller. This is a great way to create wow factor in hanging pots.
The Thriller plant is the star of the show, and is usually taller or bigger than the other plants. It works well to position it in the middle of the basket.
Filler plants fill up your container, providing a splash of colour and interest at a lower height than the Thriller plants.
Spiller plants are the trailing plants for hanging baskets. They spill over the sides, and soften the edges. Spiller plants are also brilliant for creating a bigger display and balancing out the height of the other plants in the basket.
How many plants should go in a hanging basket?
The number of plants you use in your hanging basket will be determined by the size of the basket itself. Bear in mind that each plant will place a demand on the compost, and if you really cram them in your plants won’t do as well. Also, each plant will grow – so make sure you leave a bit of space around each one.
The best plants for winter hanging baskets
Are you ready to get cracking with your plants for winter hanging baskets? Read on for my top picks for winter plants that will create a show stopping display in hanging baskets.
What can I put in my hanging baskets now?
This list includes winter flowers for hanging baskets, bulbs that are perfect for hanging baskets, foliage plants for winter baskets, and evergreen plants that will work brilliantly too. You’ll be spoilt for choice!
Flowering hanging basket plants for winter
There are lots of lovely winter flowering plants for hanging baskets. Here’s my selection of the best flowers for hanging baskets in winter.
Winter Pansies & Violas
If you’re looking for a cheery winter hanging basket plant, you can’t go wrong with pansies and violas. Garden centres and supermarkets are full of them, and there’s a good range of colours to choose from. Winter-flowering pansies and winter violas are usually very reasonably priced too, which makes them a great option for bulking out your hanging baskets.
Hardy Cyclamen
With their delicate and distinctive flowers, *cyclamen plants are a popular choice when it come to easy outdoor potted plants for winter.
Are cyclamen good for hanging baskets?
If you’re growing Cyclamen as outdoor plants in winter, it’s important to choose a hardy variety like Cyclamen coum or Cyclamen hederifolium. Some varieties can only be grown indoors at this time of year. If the plants are on display outside the shop, you’re probably on the right track.
Heather
I love growing heathers in winter hanging pots. Their upright shape is brilliant for adding height and structure to the arrangement, and the flower spikes bring lots of texture. Winter-flowering heathers such as Erica carnea also provide a good source of pollen and nectar, so they’re great for local wildlife too.
Bear in mind that heathers thrive in acidic soil, so you should ideally grow them in *ericaceous compost.
Primroses
Another candidate for low maintenance outdoor hanging plants for winter, primroses really deliver on colour and will make a bold statement in a winter hanging basket. The bright colours always go down a treat if you’re gardening with kids too.
If you’d prefer a more subtle effect, go for multiple primrose plants in the same colour to complement your other winter flowers.
Hellebores
We tend to think of hellebores as garden border plants, but they can also be planted in containers and larger hanging baskets. The flowers on hellebores naturally face downwards, so growing them in a basket at eye level is a lovely way to make the most of the blooms.
When it’s time to refresh your hanging basket, you can move your hellebore to a garden border. These perennial plants like partial shade, and look fantastic alongside woodland plants and bulbs.
Winter flowering bulbs for hanging baskets
Including some flower bulbs is a brilliant way to create a long-lasting display of hanging basket flowers. You can plant on top of them, which means you get a bigger impact without increasing the size of your basket. Bulbs are a pretty low-cost way to grow flowers too, so they’re ideal if you’re gardening on a budget.
These bulbs are all well-suited to growing as winter basket plants.
Snowdrops
A classic for a winter display, snowdrops will flower towards the end of winter and give your hanging basket a new lease of life. If you’re planting your basket in autumn you can use *snowdrop bulbs, but if you’re planting in winter it’s better to use snowdrop plants that have already started to grow.
Crocus
Another great candidate for even the smallest of hanging baskets. *Crocus bulbs are compact, so you can pack lots of them in, and the flowers are dainty too. Do spend some time checking out the range of varieties available; there are lots of different colours and heights to choose from, so it’s easy to find one that works well with your other plants.
Hyacinths
Pop a couple of *hyacinth bulbs in the bottom of your hanging basket, and in late winter you’ll have a gorgeous show of upright flowers. Hyacinths are heavily scented too, so every time you walk past your hanging basket you’ll be able to enjoy their fragrance – it’s definitely worth including them if your basket is next to the front door.
Always wear gloves when handling hyacinth bulbs, as they can irritate the skin.
Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’
These miniature daffodils are perfect for hanging baskets. Their cheery, bright yellow blooms give a little taste of the spring to come when the rest of the garden hasn’t really got going.
You can ‘force’ dwarf narcissus bulbs to flower early indoors, so if you’ve got a few bulbs left over it’s worth potting them up for some indoor colour. My post on forcing bulbs shows you how to do it.
Iris reticulata
Another favourite of mine. Miniature iris bulbs are fantastic plants for winter pots and hanging baskets; I like to combine them with white flowers for a cool, modern look. Like dwarf narcissus, you can also force these bulbs for indoor blooms in winter.
Foliage plants: winter hanging basket ideas
A winter hanging basket definitely isn’t just about the flowers. Foliage plants play a key role in providing interest, texture and structure for your vibrant display.
Here are some suggestions for winter foliage plants that are perfect in hanging baskets.
Carex
Also known as ornamental sedge, Carex plants are ideal ornamental grasses for winter planters. They’re available in a range of colours, and work well in modern baskets. Use one as the centrepiece in your basket, and surround it with flowering and trailing plants for maximum impact.
Heuchera
If you’re looking for a foliage plant that makes an impact, go for a heuchera.
Their stunning leaves are gorgeous in their own right, but they also provide a fantastic backdrop for your flowering plants. You can buy *heucheras in a range of colours, including greens, golds, oranges and deep reds, so there’s bound to be one that’s perfect for your display.
Ornamental cabbage
Not to be confused with their edible relatives, ornamental cabbages are all about the looks. I think they work particularly well in a contemporary hanging basket, where they will add a quirky edge to the overall effect.
Hebe
Hebes are flowering plants, but in winter it’s the foliage we’re interested in. You need to choose a compact, hardy variety for a winter hanging basket; ‘Red Edge’ and ‘Sutherlandii’ are both good options.
Cineraria
When it comes to container gardening, I think of cineraria as the foliage equivalent of pansies and violas. It’s super-tough, widely available, and ideal for bulking out your hanging planters. The beautiful silver-white foliage gives a lovely depth and texture, and works well with darker-leaved plants such as cyclamen.
Calocephalus
If you love your silvery tones, calocephalus is another good choice. The stems are more delicate than cineraria, but it’s still pretty tough. I like to contrast it with deep purple winter flowers and foliage for stylish wow factor.
Evergreen winter plants for hanging baskets
You can use evergreen winter hanging basket plants as an easy way to keep things looking good for months. An evergreen will give you a starting point upon which to build your planting, and can work well as a backdrop to other plants or as a showstopper in it’s own right.
Check out these great evergreen plants for hanging baskets. You can also explore my list of low maintenance evergreen plants for pots.
Ferns
Evergreen varieties of fern are a brilliant choice for winter hanging plants. Their lacy leaves can spill over the sides of the basket, but will also grow upwards to add height and structure, and the strong green will provide a solid backdrop for flowering plants.
Good varieties of fern for a winter hanging basket include Hart’s Tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium), Soft Shield fern (Polystichum setiferum), and the beautiful frosted variety of Painted Lady fern (Athyrium niponicum f. metallicum).
Hardy sedums
If you love growing succulents, a hardy sedum is well-suited to a winter container. These hardy perennials are low-growing, so they will provide winter interest and foliage low down in your arrangement. Good hanging basket sedum varieties include ‘Redhead’, ‘Moss sedum’ and ‘Bluebubbles’.
Ajuga
Ajuga plants are used for ground cover in the garden, as they like to creep over the soil. This makes them useful for adding greenery to the surface of hanging baskets. They’re tough little plants, they cope well with being restricted in a container, and there’s a good range of foliage colours to choose from.
Skimmia japonica
Japanese Skimmia is a glossy evergreen with bright winter berries, so it will definitely pack a punch in a winter hanging basket. Go for a compact variety such as ‘Rubella’.
Wintergreen
This is a good alternative to skimmia if you’re planting a smaller hanging basket. Wintergreen (which is also known as Gaultheria procumbens or checkerberry) is a dwarf, low-growing evergreen with scarlet berries. As such it’s a great choice for Christmas hanging baskets.
The best evergreen trailing plants for winter hanging baskets
Trailing plants are an important part of a hanging basket display. Use them to hide a less-than-lovely container, provide foliage interest, and increase the impact of your plants. Here are my toptrailing plants for hanging baskets in winter.
English Ivy
You can’t have a winter container plants display without considering ivy. The fact that it trails makes it a perfect plant for hanging baskets in winter.
Variegated varieties of ivy look lovely with cyclamen plants, and varieties with all-green leaves work well with bright flowers. Ivy is also a really good source of food and shelter for a wide range of garden wildlife.
Vinca
Vinca is a vigorous scrambler, but if you plant it in a hanging basket you can keep it under control. It will cover the surface of the compost with glossy green leaves, and eventually trail over the sides too.
Hardy sedums
We’ve already talked about using hardy sedums in your winter containers, and there are some great trailing varieties too. ‘Greenhead’ and ‘Blue Spruce’ will happily ramble over the sides of a hanging basket.
Basic tools for planting hanging baskets
You don’t need much in the way of tools to grow plants in containers and hanging baskets for winter, but it’s worth getting hold of a few basics. Having these to hand will make it easier and quicker to plant and take care of your container.
A good *hand trowel is essential for adding compost to your hanging basket, and filling in around your plants. Make sure it’s a size that works well with your container; if your hanging baskets are small you might want to consider child-sized tools.
To protect your hands while gardening, you will need some *gardening gloves. The type you go for is very much a matter of personal preference, but do make sure that you can move your hands freely while wearing them.
I would also recommend a pair of *secateurs or *snips to help you keep your plants looking good. Snips work really well in small spaces, so they’re particularly handy for hanging baskets.
And of course, getting hold of a *watering can is definitely a good idea! I like to use a *mini watering can on hanging baskets; it’s easier to lift up high, and doesn’t flood them with water too quickly.
Choosing hanging baskets for winter flowering plants
When it comes to the actual hanging basket, you’ve got lots of options. Whatever you go for, make sure you consider these key features.
- You hanging basket must have drainage holes, so that your plants don’t end up sitting in a puddle of water. If it has a plastic liner of some sort, you will need to make some holes in this to allow water to drain away.
- If you go for a wire-style *metal hanging basket, you will also need to buy a liner. These are usually made of coir or card, check the size carefully so you can create a neat finish.
- Make sure your hanging basket has a good, sturdy hanging hook, and is strong enough to hold everything. You might be surprised how heavy a basket can get once it’s full of compost and plants.
- Choose a basket that is the right size for the number of plants you’d like to grow. Think about how big the plants will end up, not just how big they are when you first plant them!
What is the best compost for hanging baskets?
When you grow plants in container and hanging baskets, it’s really important to use the best compost for pots.
A plant grown in a pot or basket will eventually use up all the nutrients in the compost. And because we tend to pack plants into hanging baskets, that can happen pretty quickly.
To give your plants the best chance of thriving, go for a good quality *peat-free compost. General purpose compost is fine for most plants that are grown in pots and baskets, but some plants do better in a more specific type of compost. The plant label will have this information, so give it a quick read before finalising your selection.
You can also buy compost that is specifically designed for winter plants in pots and hanging baskets. This usually contains slow-release fertiliser and water-retaining crystals to help container plants stay healthy. It’s perfect if you’re a bit unsure when it comes to plant care, or just don’t have lots of time for gardening.
You can create a similar effect to this container-specific compost by adding *water-retaining granules and *slow-release fertiliser yourself.
How do I make a winter hanging basket?
So you’ve bought your plants, found the perfect hanging container, and are tooled up and ready to go. Here’s how to make a winter hanging basket.
- If you’re planting a wire hanging basket, put your liner in first. Trim it to size if necessary.
- If your hanging basket has a plastic liner, use a pair of scissors or a knife to poke some drainage holes in the plastic.
- Lots of hanging baskets have curved bases, and this can make it tricky to keep them steady while adding your plants. To make things easier and stop it rolling around, you can put your hanging basket on an empty plant pot.
- If you’re adding water-retaining granules or slow-release fertiliser to your compost, mix it in before filling your basket.
- If you’re planting bulbs in your hanging basket, put a shallow layer of compost in the base, then place your bulbs on the surface.
- Add compost to your container, until it’s almost full.
- Take each plant out of its pot by sliding your fingers around the plant’s base, tipping the whole thing over, and removing the pot with your other hand.
- Arrange your plants in the basket. Start with a central plant that will give the display structure, then add more plants around it. You can move them around until you’ve got a good combination – just remember to put any trailing plants close to the edge so they can cascade over.
- Once your layout is looking good, add in some more compost to fill in any gaps around your plants.
- Water your winter hanging basket thoroughly, then it’s ready to hang up!
How do you make a hanging basket look fuller?
One of the key elements to making a hanging basket look fuller is patience. You need to give those plants some time to grow and fill out!
You can also make sure you feed and water your plants regularly. This will help them to grow well and produce lots of flowers.
Another clever trick for making wire hanging baskets look fuller is to add plants around the sides as well as on the top of the compost. To do this, you simply make a small hole in the liner, then pop your plant in.
And of course, tucking a few spring bulbs into the pot before adding your plants will also help to create a gorgeous, long-lasting show of winter flowers.
Care tips for winter hanging baskets
Once you’ve planted your winter hanging basket, the vast majority of the hard work is done. However, there are a few things you need to stay on top of if you want your plants to do well.
Right plant, right place
Putting your hanging baskets in the right position for the plants inside them is probably the most important thing you can do to keep them happy. In the gardening world this is usually referred to as ‘right plant, right place’.
Put simply, growing a plant in a place that provides the conditions it likes will help it to grow strong, be less vulnerable to pests, and in need of less maintenance.
All plants have a set of conditions that they prefer to grow in. For example, it could be full sun, partial shade, or full shade, somewhere that is really sheltered, a place with good drainage, or soggy soil. Provide your plants with their favourite conditions, and they will be happy. Do the opposite, and they will struggle.
Take a look at the care label on your plants, this usually has information on the best conditions for them. You can also find this information from an online search or a plant identification app.
Once you know what conditions your plants like, you can find the best place to put your hanging basket. The other way to get it right is to work out where you want to put your hanging basket, then buy plants that like the conditions provided in that location.
Feeding winter hanging basket plants
Nutrients are limited in a hanging basket or a container, because there’s a finite amount of compost in there. As a result, plants will eventually use up all the nutrients, and once that happens they will struggle to thrive.
To prevent this becoming an issue, you should feed your winter hanging basket plants regularly with general-purpose plant food.
You’ve got a few options when it comes to the format of your plant food. A *concentrated liquid feed has to be diluted before use, or you could go for a *ready-to-pour liquid feed that you simply add to your container. You can also buy plant food in *granule form, this needs to be added to the compost before planting. Ready-to-pour feed is the easiest and lowest-effort option, but it’s not the cheapest.
If you’re keen to keep costs down, or you want to garden sustainably, you can make your own plant food from comfrey or nettle leaves. There’s a good guide to doing this here:
Watering winter hanging baskets
Generally, plants that are grown in pots or hanging baskets will dry out more quickly than plants that are grown in the ground. The compost can only retain so much water, and evaporation can be quicker because the sides of the container are exposed to warmer temperatures.
Both of these causes of dry containers are less of an issue in winter, but you still need to check your hanging baskets regularly. If the surface of the soil feels dry, you probably need to water your plants.
When watering a hanging basket, try to add the water as gradually as possible. This will reduce the amount of water that simply pours out of the bottom, and help to saturate the soil more effectively.
You could also try putting a plant saucer in the bottom of the basket before planting. This will create a small reservoir and help to stop water leaking out of the bottom.
How to keep winter hanging baskets looking good
Having put all that time and effort into creating your hanging baskets for winter, you no doubt want to keep them flowering for as long as possible. Deadheading is a great way to do this.
To deadhead a plant, you need to remove any dead or drooping flowers, plus seed heads that have formed. This will stop the plant setting seed, and stimulate it to produce more flowers instead.
Deadheading is one of those quick gardening jobs that you can tackle in a couple of minutes. Simply pinch off the flower heads with your fingers, or use *snips to remove them. It’s well worth getting into the habit of doing this on a regular basis; as well as helping to boost the number of flowers, it will also keep your hanging baskets looking smart.
Do I need to protect winter hanging basket plants?
If you choose hardy plants for pots and hanging baskets, you shouldn’t need to protect them from cold weather.
Good drainage is important for container plants in winter, as most plants really hate having their roots in cold or frozen water. This isn’t a major problem for hanging baskets, as being off the ground allows excess water to drain away easily.
Do keep an eye on your hanging baskets if the weather is very windy. You might need to temporarily move them to prevent them from being swung around and generally battered!
If you have any tender plants in hanging baskets, it’s worth moving them to a sheltered spot in winter. Take a look at my post on protecting plants from frost and cold weather for tips on how to look after your tender plants.
And there you have it: a comprehensive guide to the best plants for hanging baskets in winter, and how to look after them. I hope you have fun creating some amazing winter displays!
More container gardening resources
I’ve got lots of other great container gardening ideas and tips here on the blog.
If you’d like some tips on creating a show-stopping hanging display, head over to my post on wow factor hanging flower baskets. My list of plants for shallow pots will come in handy too.
For more winter plant inspiration, check out my post on the best winter plants for pots.
I’ve also got a post on low maintenance outdoor potted plants which is full of ideas for all year round container planting, and a great spring-focused post on spring flowers for pots and hanging baskets. For other seasons you can use my summer plants for pots and fall flowers for pots resources. You can also check out my list of the best trailing plants for hanging baskets and pots.
If you want to grow an edible container garden, my list of easy vegetables to grow in pots will help you to choose the best veggies.
And if you just need some help getting organised, head over to my series on gardening jobs for each month for some regular inspiration!
If you’ve enjoyed this post and found it useful, here are some ways you can say thanks and support Growing Family:
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Catherine
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25 best winter plants for pots and container gardens – Growing Family
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Would you like to perk up your garden this winter? This guide to the best winter plants for pots has lots of gorgeous plant suggestions to inspire you.
What are the best plants for winter pots?
This post covers twenty five plants for winter pots that will give you a fabulous floral display or provide foliage and interest throughout the coldest months. There are also lots of tips on planting and caring for your winter containers so they really put on a show for you, plus a guide to the best tools for container gardening to help you get organised.
Why you should grow plants in pots in winter
Winter is a time of year when we tend to use our gardens less. The days are shorter, winter weather can be uninviting, and lots of plants shut down until spring arrives again.
Having said that, we’re all much more used to using our outdoor spaces regardless of the weather these days. As a result, you’re probably keener than ever to give your garden year-round interest. Your garden can make up a significant proportion of your home’s available space; when you think about it from this angle, it makes no sense to stop using it just because the season has changed!
If your winter garden is in need of a lift, growing winter flowering plants in pots is a simple and relatively low-cost way to create colour and interest. Growing plants in containers has many other benefits too.
Benefits of growing winter flowering plants in pots
For starters, gardening in containers can be very low maintenance. Looking after a plant in a pot is quicker and easier than dealing with an entire border. This is a particularly useful aspect of container gardening in winter, when you might prefer not to linger outdoors. If you’re short on time, focusing your efforts on container plants can allow you to quickly create a beautiful display that doesn’t take hours to look after.
If you don’t have much gardening experience, starting as a container gardener is an ideal way to ease yourself in. Growing plants in pots allows you to work on a small scale, then move onto bigger displays as you gain confidence and learn more.
That small scale gardening is also perfect if you don’t have much outdoor space. You can use pots and hanging baskets to create wow factor in the tiniest of spaces. You don’t even need a garden. You can squeeze a pot onto a window ledge, balcony, or doorway, and use hanging pots or stacking planters to create a vertical display.
When it comes to beginner gardening for kids, containers are ideal here too. Again, the smaller scale makes things easier, and it’s fun to give them their very own pot to look after. The container itself has lots of potential for nature play as well. Kids can personalise it with paints or chalk, make their own plant markers, or upcycle household objects to create unique decorations.
Another big plus for gardening in pots is their portability. If your plants aren’t thriving or you’d like to rearrange your display, you can easily move containers around. And if you rent your property or are planning on moving, you can take them with you!
Where should I put my winter containers?
You might be wondering whether it’s OK to grow plants in containers in winter when temperatures can get pretty low. The key to creating a beautiful winter container display is to choose hardy outdoor plants for pots, and get the location right for those specific plants. This last element is often referred to as ‘right plant, right place’.
The concept of ‘right plant, right place’ is very simple. If you embrace it, you stand a better chance of growing happy, healthy plants. The knock-on effect of this is a gorgeous garden that you can enjoy at any time of year.
All plants have specific conditions that they will grow well in. This is true whether you grow them in the ground, or in a pot. If you put your winter container somewhere that provides the ideal conditions for the plants, you take a big step towards making sure those plants thrive.
Conversely, if you put your winter plants in a spot that provides conditions they don’t like, you will limit their ability to do well.
Some plants enjoy full sun, some prefer full shade, and some are happy with partial shade. Your plants might prefer a sheltered spot, or be fine with weathering the elements. You may need to provide soil with good drainage, or water frequently. All of these things will vary according to the type of plant you’re growing.
To work out the ideal conditions for a particular plant, start by checking the care label. If there isn’t one, or it doesn’t have much information on it, you can use a plant identification app or look it up online.
Once you know how to make your plant happy, you’re ready to work out the perfect spot in the garden for your winter container.
Annual vs. perennial plants
Before you buy any outdoor plants for pots, it’s worth understanding the difference between annual vs. perennial plants.
Annual plants will grow, flower and die in one growing season (or year). This means you have to replace them regularly.
Perennial plants continue to grow year on year, so you won’t need to replace them very often. Some varieties of perennial plant die back in winter and have a dormant phase before emerging again in spring, while others are hardy evergreen perennials.
It’s absolutely fine to grow annual and perennial plants in pots. You can also combine the two in the same pot.
Most plants sold for container planting are annual plants. You will probably see them referred to as ‘bedding plants’ in garden centres and online. As you can imagine, relying on annual plants for your containers can quickly work out more expensive than using perennials.
A good approach is to go for a combination of annual and perennial plants in your containers. This allows you to keep costs down, but still refresh your display of outdoor plants in pots with seasonal plants.
When should I plant winter bedding plants?
The best time to plant winter bedding plants is late autumn and early winter. Planting containers at this point will give your plants time to become established, and give a natural progression from your late summer and early autumn flowering plants.
If you’re reading this later in winter, don’t worry. You can plant winter bedding plants throughout the winter months, and into early spring too. Obviously the later you plant, the longer it will take your plants to grow bigger and get established.
The best winter plants for pots and hanging baskets
Ready to get started on your winter flower pots? Here are some fantastic winter plants for containers and hanging baskets that will help you create a show-stopping display.
There are sections for flowering plants, bulbs, foliage plants and shrubs for pots, with twenty five gorgeous varieties to inspire you.
Flowering winter plants for pots
When it comes to winter flowering plants for pots, there are a lot of great options to choose from. Here are some perfect flowering plants to grow in winter containers and winter hanging baskets.
Winter flowering Pansies & Violas
You can’t have a list of favourite winter plants for outdoor pots without pansies and violas! They’re inexpensive, and readily available in a wide range of colours. These tough little plants are a great option for bulking out your displays and adding a shot of cheery colour right through winter. Deadhead them regularly for best results (scroll down to find out how to do this).
Cyclamen
Another must-have for a winter pot, hardy cyclamen will cope admirably with winter conditions and bloom from autumn right through to spring. Some cyclamen varieties need to be grown indoors, so make sure you go for Cyclamen hederifolium or Cyclamen coum for your outdoor pots.
When you decide to refresh your containers, you can transfer your cyclamen plants to a shady spot in the garden. They look particularly good alongside ferns and other woodland plants.
Primroses
If you’re wondering ‘What can I plant now for winter colour?’, then primroses could be the plant for you.
Pay a visit to any garden centre in winter, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to find a big display of primroses. They’re often available in strong colours, so if you like the idea of a powerful display they make a good, low-cost filler for your pots. If you’re gardening with kids, those bright colours are always a big hit too.
Heather
Heather plants will give your winter pots lots of texture. Choose from a subtle white or cream variety, or go for a big hit of colour with shades of pink and purple. Winter heather is a good choice if you want to garden for wildlife too, and will provide a source of nectar and pollen for pollinating insects at a time of year when other plants haven’t really got going. As such, it’s a fantastic plant for a bee friendly garden.
Heathers prefer to grow in acidic soil, so to give them the best conditions you should aim to plant them in *ericaceous compost.
Ornamental kale & ornamental cabbage
Ornamental kale and ornamental cabbages may look similar to their edible cousins, but they don’t taste great! They do however look wonderful when combined with other winter plants. Use them to add a modern, unusual twist to a pot display.
Bulbs for winter pots
If you’re looking to plant a winter container that’s thrifty and low-effort, but that also looks amazing, you should definitely include some flower bulbs.
Lots of flowering bulbs really put on a show in spring, but some varieties get going in late winter. These early bloomers are a fantastic way to keep your containers looking good until the spring flowers take over.
If you’re not very confident about growing bulbs, I’ve got a whole blog post on planting bulbs that will help you get it right.
Here are some suggestions for ideal bulbs to grow with winter plants in pots.
Iris reticulata
These compact varieties of Iris are one of the first bulbs to flower in late winter, making them a fantastic choice if you’d like to keep your winter planters going right into spring. Popular varieties include Pauline, Harmony and Frozen Planet (icy white).
Irises look gorgeous planted on their own in a pot, or you can mix them in with winter bedding plants to create extra impact. You can also ‘force’ iris bulbs to flower early indoors; my post on forcing bulbs indoors shows you how to do it.
Winter Aconites
Another great bulb for a winter display, *winter aconites will create a cheery clump of sunny yellow winter flowers for pots. Pollinating insects love them too.
Crocus
Early flowering and really low maintenance plants, crocus are a great option for winter potted plants. You’re spoilt for choice with varieties; there are shades of purple, cream, yellow and white, plus a range of heights to suit your pot.
*Crocus bulbs work well in a bulb lasagne too, this is a clever way to layer up bulbs in a pot and top them with bedding plants to create a display that lasts beyond the end of the season. My post on planting a bulb lasagne shows you how to do it.
Snowdrops
Snowdrops are often the first flowers we see in the garden towards the end of winter, and as such they can bring a taste of the spring to come when you plant them in winter pots.
*Snowdrop bulbs are usually planted in autumn, but you can also buy them as plants in late winter. This is often called buying them ‘in the green’.
Hyacinths
Hyacinths really deliver on flowers and fragrance, making them a great addition to a winter flowering container.
Like irises, you can ‘force’ *hyacinths for early indoor blooms. However you plant them, make sure you wear gloves while handling the bulbs, as they can cause skin irritation.
Winter foliage plants for pots
Foliage plants are an important part of a winter container display. They can provide texture, height and structure to your arrangement, and if you choose the right plants they can be a showstopper in their own right too.
Here are my favourite foliage plants for winter pots.
Heuchera
Heucheras (also known as coral bells) are fantastic foliage plants for a winter container garden. They flower in the summer, but it’s their leaves that we’re really interested in for winter.
You can get hold of *heuchera plants in a range of colours, which makes it easy to complement your planting scheme with these foliage stunners.
Ivy
If you’re looking for trailing winter plants for pots, ivy is a great choice. Ivys are great plants for hanging pots too.
Ivy can be a bit of a thug in the garden, crowding out other plants and generally taking over. Growing it in a container avoids all of this, allowing you to enjoy it’s beautiful leaves without the hassle. Ivy is a fabulous winter source of food and shelter for pollinating insects and local wildlife too.
The trailing habit of ivy is particularly useful for softening the edges of a container or hanging basket. It’s also a clever way to create a bigger container display from the same size of pot.
Cineraria
This is one of my favourite foliage plant for pots outdoors – my garden is full of it! Cineraria has silver-white foliage with a soft tactile surface, and it provides a beautiful textured backdrop for your winter-flowering plants. In my experience it’s a tough little plant too, so if you trim it back regularly you might find that it’s an element of your containers that you don’t need to replace.
Calocephalus
I love using this foliage plant in containers too. It’s super-tough, but the silvery stems look delicate and frothy; it always makes me think of coral. A great plant for contrasting with deep purple flowers or foliage.
Festuca glauca
An ornamental grass is an excellent choice for a pot display, and if you choose an evergreen variety you can enjoy it as part of your winter planters.
*Festuca glauca has slim, blue-green blades and forms a neat, compact dome of foliage. I think it works particularly well in contemporary container planters.
Phormium
This upright grass is ideal for giving a pot structure and height. There’s a range of colours to choose from, including varieties that incorporate yellows, pinks, and deep burgundy.
While *Phormiums are pretty tough plants, it’s a good idea to grow them in a sheltered spot in winter.
Winter flowering shrubs for containers
Don’t ignore shrubs when it comes to your pots. There are lots of lovely compact varieties that will provide you with flowers, structure or interest in winter. Here are some great varieties to try.
Skimmia japonica
This one isn’t strictly a flowering plant, but the berries more than make up for that. With its glossy evergreen leaves and bright red berries, Japanese skimmia is a brilliant plant to liven up a winter pot.
To guarantee those lovely berries, you need to buy a female plant (such as ‘Nymans’, ‘Temptation’ or ‘Kew White’), and also have a male plant (such as ‘Rubella’ or ‘Kew Green’) nearby.
Wintergreen
If you need a smaller berried plant, *Wintergreen (also known as partridge berry, checkerberry and Gaultheria procumbens) is perfect. It’s dainty and low-growing, and will give your pots a festive feel.
Hellebore
Another perfect candidate for low maintenance outdoor potted plants in winter. This lovely perennial plant will flower from midwinter onwards, providing delicate but impressive blooms at a time when most other plants are still dormant.
*Hellebores are available in shades of white, pink, purple and even apricot, and are perfectly capable of dealing with a cold season, frost, and snowy conditions. Combine them with other plants, or stick to a hellebore-only container for a simple but stunning effect.
Winter flowering clematis
If you’d like to grow a climbing plant in a pot for a winter display, take a look at winter flowering clematis. Great varieties are *Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’ and *Clematis urophylla ‘Winter Beauty’.
Winter clematis will benefit from some shelter. Try to grow them close to the house or against a house wall, where they will enjoy the slightly warmer temperatures.
Winter flowering honeysuckle
Winter honeysuckles are another option for climbing plants for pots. Lonicera fragrantissima or Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’ both have creamy white flowers and that incredible honeysuckle fragrance.
To get the best out of climbing shrubs for pots, make sure the container has access to an *obelisk, trellis or other type of plant support.
Camellia
Camellias make fantastic low maintenance evergreen plants for pots. You can choose from shades of red, white, pink and cream, all with shiny green leaves and stunning flowers.
You need to grow camellias in acidic soil, so go for *ericaceous compost to keep them happy. If you can use rainwater to water them, they will be even more content. Camellias also enjoy a more sheltered location; an easy way to provide this is to position them near the house.
Photinia ‘Little Red Robin’
If you’re planting a large winter container, this evergreen shrub will make a great addition. It will put on a show with bright red leaves that change to deep green as they mature. In spring you get white flowers too.
Sweet box
Another good option for large containers, *sweet box (Sarcococca confusa) has dense evergreen foliage and produces an abundance of delicate white flowers from midwinter onwards. The flowers are highly fragranced too, so make sure you position it somewhere that you walk past regularly to make the most of the gorgeous scent.
Daphne Odora ‘Aureomarginata’
Still on the fragrant flowers theme, the flowers on *Daphne Odora ‘Aureomarginata’ are pale pink and deliver a huge hit of fragrance. It needs a larger container as it can reach heights of 1.5 metres, but it will definitely earn its space.
Should I repot my plants after buying?
Unless you’re buying a ready-made container display, you should always repot your plants after you’ve bought them.
The plants will most likely have reached the limits of their pots, and will benefit from a bigger container and access to more compost.
Take the pot off the plant, and you’ll probably see that the roots are filling up the space. If the roots have grown out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, this is another sign that the plant is ready to move on!
When it comes to tools, gardening in containers is pretty low-tech. However, there are some basic tools that you should consider getting hold of to make things easier and help your plants do well.
A *hand trowel will come in handy for planting, re-potting and weeding.
If you’d prefer to protect your hands, *gardening gloves are a must. There are lots of different sizes and materials out there, but for me the most important thing is to find a pair that allows your hands to move well while you’re wearing them.
A pair of *secateurs are ideal for pruning your plants and removing dead flower heads. If you’ve chosen smaller plants for small pots you might prefer a pair of *snips – these are fantastic for deadheading too.
And finally, a *watering can is pretty essential. Go for one that has a ‘rose’ head attachment, this will prevent you accidentally flooding your pots. A *mini watering can is a good option for smaller containers – and you can use it on your houseplants as well.
Don’t forget your pots and hanging baskets too!
Choosing containers for hardy outdoor potted plants
When you’re choosing your pots, stick to these two rules.
- Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom. If you’ve fallen in love with a pot that doesn’t have drainage holes, you will need to either make your own holes, or add an inner plant pot with drainage holes.
- Choose a pot that’s the right size for your plants. How many do you want to put in it? How big are they going to get? Ideally you should go for a pot that’s big enough for at least a year, to keep your plants happy and save you from having to repot them regularly.
The rest of the decision-making process is absolutely up to you. There’s a huge amount of choice out there and you can easily find a colour, shape, style and material to suit your own tastes and the look of your outdoor space.
It’s also well worth considering a spot of upcycling here; so many household items make great plant pots. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- An old teapot
- A chimney pot
- A kitchen colander
- An old sink
- A storage crate
- An old pair of wellies
- A watering can
The best compost for outdoor container plants
If you’re growing plants in pots, it’s really important to give them good compost. Our best compost for pots guide covers this in detail, but here’s a quick overview.
Plants that grow in the ground can easily access the nutrients they need in the soil around them. Plants grown in containers however are restricted by the pot, and as a result they will eventually exhaust the nutrients available. When this happens, your plants will start to look less healthy and may struggle to grow.
To avoid the problem of starved winter container plants, always use a good quality *peat-free compost.
You should be fine to use general-purpose compost for the majority of your container plants, but some plants do need a particular type of compost in order to grow well. The plant label should tell you if this is the case.
There is also compost available that has been specifically designed to support plants grown in pots and baskets. This type of compost is usually enriched with slow-release fertiliser and water-retaining crystals. As well as helping your plants to thrive, it’s a good option if you’re keen to keep the plant maintenance to a minimum, or you’re not very confident about taking care of your pots.
How to plant a winter container
Once you’ve got your plants, your pots, and your tools, you’re ready to create some beautiful seasonal displays. Here’s a quick guide to planting outdoor pots for winter.
- Start by adding a layer of ‘crocks’ (these are simply broken pieces of an old pot) or small stones to the bottom of your pot. This will help excess water to drain away.
- Add compost to your pot until it’s almost full.
- Carefully remove each plant from its pot – try to avoid damaging the root system. A good way to do this is to slide your fingers around the base of the plant, then tip the plant over and ease the pot away with your other hand.
- Arrange your plants on top of the soil. You can move them around until you’re happy with the layout. It’s a good idea to position taller plants at the back of the pot, and make sure any trailing plants are near an edge so they can spill over.
- When you’re happy with your layout, fill in any gaps around the plants with more compost.
- Finish by watering your pot, and pop it in its final position.
Care tips for winter plants in pots
Caring for your beautiful winter plants display is pretty low-effort. Focus on these key areas, and you’ll be giving your plants the best chance of doing well.
Feeding winter plants in pots
As I’ve already mentioned, a container plant will eventually use up all the nutrients in the compost. To stop this being a problem, you can feed your plants regularly with a general-purpose plant food.
You can choose the format of your plant food to suit your own preference. A *concentrated liquid needs to be diluted before you use it (the packaging will tell you how to do this), so you will need a watering can for this option. Plant food is also available in *granule form which you add to your compost when planting, and *ready-to-use liquid feed which you simply pour into your pot. If you’re nervous about getting the feeding right, the last option is definitely the easiest way to do it, but bear in mind it’s probably also the most expensive and least eco-friendly way to feed your plants.
If you’re keen on sustainable gardening or are gardening on a budget, you can have a go at making your own plant feed from nettle or comfrey leaves. This is a particularly good option if you like to garden organically. This video shows you how to make natural plant food:
Watering outdoor potted plants in winter
Plants grown in containers will dry out faster than plants grown in the ground, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there’s a limit to how much water that the compost can retain. Plus, the sides of the pot get exposed to warmer temperatures than the ground, this heats up the compost which in turn causes more evaporation.
You might not need to water your container plants at all during winter, but it’s still a good idea to check the soil regularly. To do this, simply poke your finger into the soil surface; if it feels dry, you need to water your plants. Moist soil doesn’t need to be watered.
Winter plants for pots: the importance of drainage
While it’s important to make sure your plants aren’t too dry, it’s also crucial to prevent your pots from getting too damp.
The majority of plants really dislike having their roots in a puddle of water. Soggy roots can quickly rot, and root rot will kill your plant. This is particularly relevant in colder months, when water is much less likely to evaporate and the weather is generally more wet. In addition, excess water can freeze, which is also really bad news for plant roots.
The way to avoid this problem is to do everything you can to allow excess water to drain out of your containers and provide your plants with well-drained soil.
Those drainage holes I keep going on about play a big role here – so choose your containers for your winter displays carefully.
Putting crocks or stones in the bottom of your container will also help with drainage.
You can also improve the drainage of your compost by adding materials such as grit or *perlite. This creates a more open soil structure which allows water to drain more effectively, resulting in better drained soil.
Another simple way to avoid soggy containers is to use *pot feet or bricks to lift your pots off the ground. Leaving your pots on the ground makes them more likely to become waterlogged in winter. Raising them up an inch or two will help water to drain away more easily.
How to keep your winter flowering plants blooming
Would you like to get as many flowers as possible from your winter plants? Of course you would!
Deadheading is a brilliant way to make sure your winter plants in pots give you a long-lasting display of flowers. The added bonus is it’s really quick and easy to do.
Deadheading is all about removing flowers that are dead, drooping, or forming seed heads. Taking these off the plant prevents it from setting seed, which in turn stimulates it to grow more flowers.
To remove old flowers, just pinch them off with your fingers, or use *secateurs or *snips to make the job even easier.
You should aim to deadhead your plants regularly, this will help to create a steady supply of blooms. It’s the kind of gardening job you can tackle whenever you’ve got a couple of spare minutes, so it’s not hard to fit it in.
How do I protect my potted plants in the winter?
By choosing plants that are happy to grow outdoors in winter, you will go a long way towards keeping your potted plants healthy.
One of the key things to pay attention to is drainage, which we’ve already covered. Getting the water levels right in your containers is really important in winter, so make sure you stay on top of this by checking your pots on a regular basis.
If your plants look like they’re struggling, you can try moving the pot to a more sheltered spot such as near a house wall or away from wind.
Can you leave potted plants outside in the winter?
If you’ve chosen winter hardy container plants, they should be OK outside in winter. If, however, you have tender plants in pots, it’s a good idea to move them to a more sheltered location until the weather warms up again. My post on protecting plants from frost and cold weather covers this in more detail and talks about plants that can survive winter outside.
And that’s it! Everything you need to know about the best outdoor winter plants for pots, and how to take proper care of them. I hope this guide has inspired you to create some fabulous winter plant displays – tell me what plants are on your wish list in the comments 🙂
More container gardening ideas and resources
If you’d like some more ideas for container gardening and plant inspiration, I’ve got you covered.
I’ve got posts on fall flowers for pots and the best plants for winter hanging baskets that will help you to grow a stunning hanging container display. You might also like my guide to growing wow factor hanging flower baskets. And if you’re keen to keep your containers looking good in spring or summer, you need my posts on spring flowers for pots and hanging baskets and great summer plants for pots.
My post on low maintenance plants for outdoor pots has lots of suggestions for the best plants for pots to get show stopping displays with minimal effort. You will probably find my lists of trailing plants for hanging baskets and pots, perennial plants for pots, climbing plants for pots, and outdoor plants for shallow pots useful too.
If you like the idea of growing edible plants in containers, check out my post on easy vegetables to grow in pots.
My guide to dealing with ants in plant pots will come in handy if these little guys decide to move in.
If planting seeds is your thing, you might like my post on easy flowers to grow from seed.
And finally, my series on gardening jobs for each month is a great way to keep yourself organised!
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