Floral Containers and Arrangements for Winter

Add some color and texture to your winter landscape with container gardening.

You’ll want to position your container so you can see it from inside, and the larger the container, the more impact it will have. Wood and metal containers handle the weather well, whereas terra cotta and ceramic containers may crack with the combination of moisture and freezing temperatures. Position the container and loosen the soil. You may need to put a brick or something heavy in it to prevent it from blowing over. The selection of fill material is of personal preference, but a combination of small evergreen boughs, red or yellow dogwood branches, weeping branches, branches with berries (such as rose hips, sea buckthorn, mountain ash, or cotoneaster) or silvery leaves, and grasses with seed heads or dried flowers will make a balanced and attractive arrangement. 

Begin by inserting the evergreen boughs around the base - they can hang over the rim and soften the edges. The overall effect can be 1 ½ times wider than the container. Imagine you’re building a pyramid with the taller branches, the dogwood, being placed at the back or in the center. In keeping with the scale of your project, the taller branches can be 2 ½ times taller than the container. The weeping branches and the ones with berries bridge the taller and shorter material; with bunches of grass or flowers (individually they get lost) added for interest. You can add pine cones (they can be wired to branches) or colorful wire ribbon; and if your container is in a sheltered spot, you can add ornaments and little lights.When your arrangement is complete, water the soil to settle it around the stems and when it freezes, things will stay put.

(To help the evergreens stay green and the berries plump, you can use an anti-desiccant spray.)

 A winter floral container will bring a touch of life and color to any spot in the yard.