There are fewer gardening jobs to keep you busy in winter, so make the most of extra time and plant up a stylish container to decorate a terrace or doorstep.
This elegant cube-shaped container is filled with the curly sedge, Carex buchananii, and Helleborus niger, the Christmas rose, which starts to flush pink in January and February.
You should be able to find both plants at the garden centre at this time of year.
Here’s how to make this simple display.
Turn the container upside down and drill four or five drainage holes in the bottom, if necessary.
Add compost until it’s two-thirds full.
Plant the carex in one corner of the cube pot. This will form the ‘back’ of the finished display.
Fill the remaining corners with the three hellebores, and push more compost into any gaps.
Water the plants in well and stand in a sheltered spot. Make sure the compost doesn’t dry out in winter winds.
Perfect for a shady corner, this pretty container display is simple to recreate. Here, we’ve combined bronze-green heuchera with common blue violets. The trailing ivies hang from the side of the container to complete the look. You Will Need
This simple container display is perfect for a shady corner. The large, glossy leaves of the bergenia look fantastic all year round, while its pink flowers combine with those of the thrift to add a splash of colour in spring. Both plants are perennial so, once you have finished with your display, transfer them into the garden. You W
The sweet-smelling irises should be in flower by late-winter if the weather is mild. Before then, you can enjoy the foliage combination of the needle-like iris, the filigree English ivy and the crimped fern. If you plant up this container feature in autumn you can use iris bulbs; if you wait until spring, simply buy pots of iris. Yo
If deadheaded regularly, pretty bellis daisies will keep flowering for weeks, offering a colourful display through spring and into summer. The English ivy in this pot recipe can be planted in the garden when the display is past its best. You Will Need