Outdoor Planters that Last the Winter Through

Who knows what weather the start of the winter season will have? To ensure you are not outdoors creating your winter planters amid snow storms and freezing temperatures, we suggest your outdoor winter decor be completed as soon as the calendar has respectfully passed Remembrance Day.  

To prepare the pots, cut all remaining plant material off at soil level.  Leave the roots and moist soil right in your pots (make sure they are pots that are “winter proof”).  This will form the base to push in the evergreen boughs.   Use a generous amount of evergreen boughs (pine, cedar, balsam and/or spruce) at various lengths to form a pleasing base and then add height to the arrangement with red dogwood or birch branches.  Accents fill in the body and can be natural accents like dried hydrangea blooms, pinecones, sumac, sedum heads (use spray paint to bump up the colour, if you wish) or decor accents that you purchase (shiny balls, wicker shapes, bows and the like).  Be creative and have fun with your choices!  

Do remember that these arrangements can last throughout the entire winter so wire distinctly holiday accents to a stick that you can cut out once the festivities are over.  While stars, pinecones and birch branches look winter-y, shiny red balls, gauzy bows and Santa faces look dated and out of place in February.  Make your arrangements full and lush so when you cut out the seasonal accents you are not left with large holes.

The Canadian outdoors is Mother Nature’s cooler, so you do not need to water your outdoor arrangements unless we hit a really warm spell mid November and your evergreens look dry.  Usually though, the moist air is more than sufficient to keep everything fresh and lovely from November to March.

By Vikki Whitney, Owner of Griffin’s Greenhouses
705-652-8638 or 1-877-647-4334
www.griffinsgreenhouses.com