"Plant evergreens for year-round structure, then surround them with plants that offer seasonal variation"
It’s tempting to ignore containers on terraces and patios during winter, just leaving them to sit and stagnate until spring arrives. They’ve given their all over summer and little is expected of them in the darker months of the year. But that’s a huge shame, especially in small gardens, courtyards and even on doorsteps, where containers can contribute so much to the display. It’s not too late, even now, to make amends and cheer up those pots, tubs and troughs with perhaps a few permanent residents, plus an ever-changing chorusline of temporar y occupants to prov ide seasonal interest.
All too often, container plantings look the same throughout the year, but a shrub that has outgrown its pot is dispiriting to look at and no amount of feeding is going to turn it around once it has completely ex hausted the compost at its disposal. If this is the case with your containers, make amends now – heave out the old and bring in the new to brighten up your life with a few exciting winter plants.