I love a winter garden display idea, and I just spotted one on Instagram that might be my favourite.
If you’re looking for winter flower and foliage combinations, you’ll want to take a look at one of Adam Kirtland’s latest videos (@viewfromthepottingbench on Instagram). His winter pot display combines texture, height and colour with an array of winter-blooming plants and grasses, including one unusual cabbage variety I haven’t seen used in a winter garden before.
If you’re hoping to plant up a winter container display that will take you through the colder months and into spring, these are the plants for the job.
1. Pansies and violas
Violas and pansies are pretty easy to care for, and they’re frost-hardy, too. Adam says they’re perfect for adding colour to a winter pot display.
‘These really are the champions of the winter garden,’ he says. ‘They’ll flower right through frosts, and if you deadhead them, they’ll keep you going all the way through till spring.’
Knowing when to deadhead pansies will encourage the plants to bloom all winter long. September and October are among the best months to plant winter pansies, too.
Pansy ‘Northern Lights’ from £13.99 for a tray of 20, at J. Parker’s are garden-ready and provide a striking mix of winter colour.
2. Wallflowers
We don’t talk about wallflowers enough, but they’re heroes in the garden. Adam agrees that they’re great for pots, beds, borders and other containers, and many varieties start to bloom from the end of winter.
‘Bright-coloured and sweetly scented, wallflowers are an absolute must,’ he says.
The tall flower spikes add height to a potted display, and the dark green foliage creates a beautiful foundation for a winter container.
You can plant some of the very best wallflowers in autumn, but perennial varieties like Erysimum ‘Winter Orchid’, £8.99 for a 9cm pot, from Crocus will flower from February onwards.
3. Heathers
Heathers are among the most popular low-growing evergreen shrubs, perfect for garden borders – but they make a real feature out of a winter container, too. Visit any garden centre at this time of the year and you’ll likely see pots and pots full of them (I know the team and I have!).
‘In my mind, you really can’t go wrong with heathers,’ Adam says. ‘Add these to any winter display and they’ll look fantastic.’
If you’re looking to order the plants online, J. Parker’s winter-flowering heather collection, £14.99 for a pack of 5, is a great place to start.
4. Buchanan’s sedge
Carex buchananii, or Buchanan’s sedge, is an ornamental grass that thrives in light shade, and it’s perfect for adding texture to a winter pot display.
‘It may not look much on its own, but with those other plants beside it, that is when you start to create a real winter display,’ he says in the video.
Buchanan’s sedge also produces delicate flowers in the summer, so it’s a real winner for seasonal interest. You can buy Carex buchananii at Crocus from £4.50 for a 9cm pot.
5. Ivy
variegated trailing ivy from Gardening Express is now just £7.99 for a pack of 5 plantsIvy garden ideas don’t have to take up a lot of space, but you can make the most of every space with trailing varieties. If you’ve ever heard of the thriller, filler, spiller rule for hanging baskets, the same technique can be applied to winter pot displays.
‘For me, winter displays are all about using the whole pot, including the sides, so something like ivy that trails down over the edges helps to soften that display,’ Adam says.
This variegated trailing ivy from Gardening Express is now just £7.99 for a pack of 5 plants.
6. Ornamental cabbage
And finally, the plant that took me most by surprise in Adam’s winter pot arrangement: ornamental cabbage.
‘I’ve got to throw in a curveball, so I’ve gone with this ornamental cabbage,’ he says in the video.
‘Take note of the fact that I said ‘ornamental’ – these are not for eating. They’re a compact non-edible variety with fringed white leaves that really add a difference to any winter display.’
You can buy a four-pack of white ornamental cabbage plants for £10.49 from B&Q.
And there we have it! I love Adam’s winter pot arrangement, and I’ll be trying it out in my own garden. Which plants are your favourites for a winter display?
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