In our part of the world, there’s this ridiculous notion that enjoying beautiful plants in outdoor containers is only for the growing season. Not true! You can extend the value that planters bring to your outdoor spaces through the cold months too. All you need is a bundle of fresh-cut wintergreens, a fiber pot full of moistened soil, and a pair of clippers. Here, we explain the basics with a few of our best tips and techniques to get you started. Then, we hope you’ll join us on November 17th for our DIY demonstration, Custom Holiday Planters, where we’ll share even more inspirations for combining fragrant boughs with twigs, cones, ornaments, and other decorations to create stunning doorstep planters for the holidays and beyond.
It’s All About the Greens
It is true that most living plants can’t survive the winter months outside, so to get past that challenge, we can fill our planters with fresh-cut wintergreens instead. When properly cared for, cut boughs from favorite evergreens like noble fir, silver fir, princess pine, and others will stay green and beautiful in your outdoor containers for weeks – even months – in the cold weather.
The Secret is Managing Moisture
Once it’s cut from the tree, an evergreen branch has no way to replenish the moisture it loses through its needles – and it dries out. So managing moisture loss is key to a long, beautiful life for your boughs. Start with a fiber slip-pot filled with moistened potting soil. With a pair of sharp pruners, make a fresh cut at least ¼” from the end of each bough – this will reopen the water-conducting channels in the branch and allow it to take up water again – then, stick the cut end in the soil. Continue clipping and placing boughs until you have the arrangement you want, and – this is important – be sure to keep the soil wet. If the soil dries out, the ends of the boughs will seal off again.
To really extend the life of your greens, we recommend applying Wilt-Pruf to your arrangement too. Wilt-Pruf is a sprayable product made of natural pine resin that coats the needles and prevents moisture from escaping. In our experience, Wilt-Pruf significantly lengthens the time your branches remain soft and green – from a matter of days to several weeks and even months.
And why fiber pots? Fiber pots hold just the right amount of soil for your arrangement, and they come in a range of diameters that fit right into your larger, heavier planters. Their light weight makes it easy to switch out arrangements for each season throughout the year.
Design with Two Seasons in Mind
With a little planning, your cold-weather planter can begin its life as festive holiday decoration and later transition to a winter-inspired theme after the New Year. The trick is to think in layers as you put together your arrangement. As you begin, start with the more natural-looking elements – wintergreens, eucalyptus, and pinecones, for instance – and create a winter combination that stands beautifully on its own. To this base layer, add your favorite holiday decorations – the colorful ornaments, glittering lifelike floral stems, and sparkling lights. When the holidays are over, simply remove these more festive elements to reveal the wintery combination you started with.
Fill Those Empty Planters
For more great tips and inspiration, join us on Saturday, November 17th, at 10am and 2pm, for our Custom Holiday Planters demonstration. Or if your holiday schedule is too tight to create your own, we’ve still got you covered. Just stop in and grab one of our premade wintergreen planters – available in two designs and three popular sizes – to drop into your doorstep containers. Or talk to our Container Design team for a custom planter created just for you.
