Array Of Evergreens – A surprisingly wide selection of evergreen plants have interestingly shaped or attractively colored foliage, which makes them useful for year-round container plantings, and winter arrangements in particular.
Extremely harsh winters can be a problem for plants in containers, but a small selection can withstand the icy, winter onslaught. Those with interesting foliage include abelia, cotoneaster, Cornish heath, euonymus, holly, calico bush, privet, box, ivy, lavender, pieris, periwinkle, and many conifers: false cypress, juniper, spruce, pine, yew, and Eastern hemlock, to name just a few possibilities.
For an amusing winter arrangement, plant decorative cabbages and evergreen skimmia in fall. Their bright colorful leaves will bring pleasure through the winter months. Like edible cabbages, the decorative forms eventually bolt, so you will have to pull them out in spring.
Containers, too, can suffer in very low temperatures, especially the terracotta and glazed ceramic ones. Some are frost-proofed when they are made, so if you live in a frost-prone area, check before you buy.
Winter buds and berries
A white, wooden window box makes an excellent foil for this mix of dark greens, silvers, and orange. In temperate climates the planting will give a bright display from late fall to early summer, with the skimmias producing pink buds throughout the winter and white flowers in the summer. This planting is not suitable for very cold regions.
Skimmia
