When the foliage begins changing and the seasons change from summer to fall, the major growing season disappears almost as quickly as the leaves from trees as winter encroaches. For those with green thumbs and gardening prowess, we’ve got a suggestion to keep your hands digging in the dirt a little while longer: plant some cool-weather withstanding containers.

Plenty of plants endure even when temperatures drop, and container gardens can supply a nice variation of greenery in life when much of the vegetation in your landscape withers away in winter. Here are a few of our tips for designing containers that will flourish even when everything else starts wilting in the weather.

  • Select plants that can live through multiple light frosts, like chrysanthemums, phlox, and coneflowers.
  • Water plants until the soil freezes to keep roots nourished.
  • Eliminate liquid fertilizer, as new growth is fragile and may not make it through the lower temperatures.

Try these pairings for a beautiful and blissfully blooming container:

  • Bergenias, red pansies, and redtwig. Watch your garden transform as the deep green leaves of the Bergenias turn the same scarlet color as the pansies. The redtwig will lend visual height to the plantings.
  • New Zealand flax, “Imperial Antique Shades” pansies, “Amber Waves” and “Plum Pudding” heuchera will provide a palette that matches the autumnal landscape.
  • “Green Giant” arborvitae, “Angelina” sedum, and “Delta Pure Primrose” pansies make a nice winterized planting, the sedum looking Christmas tree-like and the pansies white like snow.

Whatever combination you choose, we’re confident that container plantings will bring you happiness when other parts of your garden go dormant or die. We encourage you to get creative with your container arrangements – just be sure to research plant hardiness before so doing.

At Rhine landscaping, we can help you to enhance your landscape no matter the season. Call us today at 410-442-2445 or click here for more advice about container gardens and other ways to keep your outdoor space colorful even in the cold months.

 

Sources:

Four Container Planting Ideas for Autumn