Seasonal Plant Ideas for Your Containers
Building a year-long container garden design around a living evergreen ensures steady color no matter what the calendar says. Start by selecting an evergreen that’s hardy to at least two USDA Zones colder than where you live. For example, if you’re in Zone 5, the evergreen needs to be hardy to Zone 3 to guarantee winter survival. Slow-growing evergreens that can thrive in containers include dwarf Alberta spruce, ‘Sky Pencil’ holly, topiary juniper, mugo pine, and Japanese umbrella pine. Here are a few ideas for plants to add in around your evergreen, but you can also look for what’s in abundance throughout the year at your local garden center. Buy It: ‘Moonglow’ Juniper Tree
1. Remove Spent Plants
Use a sharp or serrated knife to slice through roots to free them. Try not to cut too deeply into the root ball, which is likely to hold the interlaced roots of plants you want to save.
2. Add Fresh Potting Soil
Fill holes and refresh the footing for all plants. Mixing compost with the soil is a good idea.
3. Prune Back Existing Plants
Take care when you prune tall plants in fall. In cold regions, they may not have enough time to rebound if cut back severely.
4. Fertilize After Repotting
Mix a slow-release fertilizer into the soil to give plants a nutritional boost without the risk of burning roots.
5. Insulate Soil
Mulch soil with an inch or two of locally available material, like pine straw, shredded bark, or cottonseed hulls. This layer helps moderate big temperature swings in soil and also helps the potting mix dry out less quickly so you don’t need to water as often.
