Winter pot plants outdoors
12 Best Winter Plants for Pots Jay Scotts Collection
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You want to upgrade your house this winter, but you haven’t found the way?
We offer you a list of the 12 best winter plants for pots. They not only tolerate wintry weather, but some of them can produce lovely flowers and berries, perfect for adding color to your home and boosting psychological health in these cold, bleak months!
If you’re after winter decorating advice, we have that too. Check out our guide to winter decor with planters!
1. Violas
There is no surprise that violas are the most popular winter plant for pots. Viola can bloom through the winter and, with proper care, in summer too. Its flowers, in a wide range of colors: white, pink, yellow, red, can definitely brighten your house even on the gloomiest day. Plus, Violas are edible – you can garnish your food or candy them for cake decoration.
Violas do not need a lot of care. Just remember to water your violas regularly and place them in partial shade or full sun.
Top tip: Deadheading also helps make them grow faster.
2. Pansies
Remarkable as a winter plant, Pansies can survive freezing coldness and can thrive vigorously when summer returns. Its “smiling face” flowers are vibrant in color and fragrance that can fill up your space with so much joy.
Pansies are fine with normal potting soil, with a bit of general, all-purpose fertilizers. Deadheading faded flowers and sun exposure are needed to produce more blooms.
Top tip: One of the most common problems when growing pansies is underwatering. So, make sure to water your pansies regularly.
3. Erica carnea
Erica carnea is a sun-loving evergreen. Low maintenance, winter hardy, disease and pest-free, and a plant that exhibits an abundance of pink and purple flowers in winter, this plant definitely deserves a “pot” in your house.
Erica carnea does not mind some neglect. However, some sunshine (6 hours per day) is crucial for the vibrant color of their flowers.
Top tip: Your Erica plants will require moist, well-drained soil. So, let the top of the soil dry slightly before the next watering.
4. Gaultheria procumbens
Gaultheria procumbens is a type of evergreen shrub, with dark green, red-tinted leaves. Nothing can bring as much Christmas vibe as this winterberry. Its bright red berries are truly the most beautiful baubles you can add to your house. It can make an appealing decoration at your house entrance.
They do not need a lot of water and can tolerate drought. They can grow well in both full shade and partial shade.
Top tip: Gaultheria procumbens love acidic, moist but well-drained soil.
5. Clivia
Clivia is popular as an indoor flowering plant. From a giant bulb grows thick, dark-green long leaves.
Clivia plants bloom a cluster of 15-20 smaller flowers in late winter. Although it is quite expensive – the price can be above $20 per plant, it is easy to care for.
Clivia only needs some basic care. In the winter months, your clivia requires a minimum amount of water to keep its foliage moist. It thrives in any type of well-drained soil with organic matter.
Top tip: It is shade-loving. Therefore, the early morning sun is preferable.
6. Hellebores
Not a lot of plants can compete with hellebores when it comes to winter tolerance. Hellebores are known for their nodding, fragrant and long-lasting flowers which bloom in a wide range of colors, even when the ground is covered with snow. Hellebores’ foliage is aesthetically pleasing with serrated, leathery leaves.
Place hellebores in well-drained, organic soil. Hellebores do not love so much sunlight. They prefer filtered sun, dappled light, and shady locations but make sure to water them regularly.
Top tip: Removing old and damaged leaves at the end of the season is necessary to prevent leaf spot disease.
7. Sedum
There is a variety of sedum ranging from low-spreading to high-spreading. Creeping and medium Sedum are the most suitable varieties to grow in pots. Even though they are mainly grown for their colorful foliage, Sedums can produce short sprays of lovely flowers. Like any type of succulent, Sedum is really hardy, and drought tolerant.
It is easy to take care of Sedum plants. You can use any form of succulent mix and well-draining soil. Make sure to have a drainage hole in your planters to keep your plant healthy. Most Sedums enjoy full sun or partial sun. In winter, do not water your Sedums too regularly, this will prevent winter rot.
Top tip: For succulents in general, underwatering is much better than overwatering.
8. Boxwood
Boxwood is a perfect winter plant for pots.
Thriving all the year, through harsh winters and hot summers, hardly in need of any maintenance, a pot of nicely pruned boxwood shrub is a living sculpture that can bring year-round color to your house.
You need to pay extra attention when choosing a pot for your boxwood. The pot should be large and tall and have a good drainage hole. Boxwoods do not like to sit in wet roots. Other than that, taking care of a boxwood is easy. Water your boxwood moderately through the year and reduce the water in winter.
Top tip: You can add some wood chips and leaves to the soil in winter to keep your plant warm.
9. ZZ plant
Easy to take care of, stylish, extremely cold tolerant, a ZZ plant is the safest plant to grow in pots in winter. Its oval-shaped, glossy, deep green can work as décor for your house.
ZZ plant is suitable for any busy owner because you don’t need to take care of it much at all. Watering it once a month in winter is enough to make it happy.
ZZ plant loves low, or medium-light so you can place it everywhere in your house.
Top tip: Fertilize it once a year with worm compost and you can enjoy its shiny foliage for the whole year.
10. Jade plant
The Jade plant is a succulent with thick stems and oval-shaped leaves. In late winter, it produces white, mildly fragrant flowers. Tiny, about 3-6 inches tall, the Jade plant can be placed anywhere in your house – on a table or bookshelf. Many people prefer placing them in their working corner as the Jade plant is regarded as a lucky plant.
The Jade plant is succulent; therefore, it enjoys well-draining soil. Do not water them too often. Overwatering can cause root rot and fungal disease.
Top tip: Jade plant is happy with indirect light. Too much sunlight means its foliage will get burned.
11. Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley exhibits delicate, bell-shaped, white flowers.
The fragrance can easily fill up any room in the house. It is recommended to grow the plant in pots so that you can bring the pleasing smell everywhere you want and control the spread of the rhizomes. Despite its tiny, fragile appearance, this plant makes it to the list for being cold-hardy, and versatile.
Like with Boxwoods, the most important step is to choose a suitable pot for your Lily plant. A pot whose depth is greater than its width is the best for your Lily. Place your pots under indirect sunlight. Water in the morning.
With Lily of the Valley plants, you should also place your garden hose directly to the ground to avoid wetting the leaves.
Top tip: Remember to remove the flower stalks when the flowers become dry and the petals fall off.
12. Japanese Skimmia
Japanese Skimmia is a coldy-hardy evergreen that offers year-round glossy foliage, clusters of star-shaped, pink-tinted flowers in summer, and decorative red buds or berries in winter.
Both blooms and leaves produce a pleasant fragrance.
Japanese Skimmia is a shade-loving plant. It easily thrives in partial shade and full shade, preferably morning and dappled afternoon sunlight. Well-drained, slightly acidic soil works best for skimmia.
Top tip: The soil should be moist all the time so it is a must to water your Japanese Skimmia regularly and frequently.
If you have plants that aren’t on this list, you may need to keep them warm and safe from frost, snow, and wind. Not all plants are as hardy as the ones on this list! Learn how to keep your beloved plants safe and how to cover your plants for winter.
We hope our list can help you decide what to get for the winter season. The next step is to choose high-quality, fashionable pots for your lovelies. Be sure to take a look at our fiberglass containers that are light and durable, and suitable to move your plants around in as you please. If you want to see out planters in action, be sure to check out this project:
If you’re not sure which pots are best for your plants, take a look at our best landscaping planters, for outdoor and indoor landscaping perfection!
17 Perfect Outdoor Winter Plants for Pots
Winter is coming, but the winter months don’t have to mean your home has to be dreary and void of life.
A cold climate is often seen as ‘down time’ in the garden or houseplant world, but there are many winter plants for pots that thrive outside and provide great options to upgrade your home this winter.
Warm up your patio, front porch or deck with plants, using texture and color.
From evergreen foliage to vibrant flowers to vivid berries, the right outdoor winter plants for pots are a great way to create a lovely winter oasis that doesn’t require you to wait until early spring.
The Perfect Winter Plants for Pots
1. Camellia
Camellias are a popular plant in big spaces, but they also make good container plants.
Blooming in a variety of forms and colors even in the colder months, these are a great choice to add something to your home and once they outgrow their containers.
They can be transplanted to yards and gardens.
2. Boxwood Hedge
Boxwoods are easy-to-grow winter evergreen plants that can be used as hedges, edging plantings, or potted in plants.
They are tough plants that can withstand difficult climates and cold temperatures.
If possible, rotate the pot periodically to balance the plant’s sun exposure and therefore encourage even growth.
3. Viola Odorata (Sweet Violet)
Violas in general produce a variety of beautiful colors but the viola odorata are the blue violas you’ll often find in people’s yards.
They’re also known as wood violet or common violet. They bloom through cold weather and given proper care, they can also bloom in the summer months.
Not only are violas great plants to give your home a pop of color, but they are also edible so if you love using edible flowers, this is a great place to start.
Violas don’t require excessive care and are fairly low maintenance.
They need regular watering and a spot in partial shade.
Make sure to regularly deadhead (removing the dead leaves and flowers) them too as this will prolong the flowering period.
4. Pansies
Pansies are durable little plants and have the capability to survive freezing temperatures while also thriving in the summer.
Underwatering is one of the most common problems with pansies so don’t be shy about giving them needed water; just make sure they have good drainage.
5. Juniper
Evergreen juniper boasts needle-shaped foliage and is tolerant to drought.
They can grow as shrubs or in containers as column-shaped accents and therefore are good choices for a large container.
Their blue, waxy berries and green/blue-grey foliage are striking.
6. Erica carnea (Springwood Pink)
This plant is part of the winter-flowering heather family. It is an evergreen that loves to soak up the sun.
It is one of the best plants for the winter, requires low maintenance, and produces lovely pink and purple flowers in the winter months.
This plant will need some sun to produce vibrant colored flowers, but otherwise it can handle some minor neglect and the extreme cold.
Let the soil dry before the next watering.
7. Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen)
This is a plant you’ve likely seen before as it has noticeable red berries.
These outdoor plants love acidic, moist but well-drained soil.
They do not require a lot of water and can grow in both full and partial shade.
Wintergreen is one of the best picks when it comes to hardy winter plants for pots.
8. Clivia
Clivia has thick, dark-green long leaves and in the winter temperatures, a cluster of 15-20 flowers.
n the winter months, Clivia needs minimal water and it loves the shade.
9. Japanese Yew
This plant is great for a front porch year-round due to it’s tolerance to drought. It can also thrive in both full and partial sun.
It is most commonly used as groundcover or in winter containers.
However, it can also be grown as a tree and can reach more than 50 feet in height.
10. Cyclamen
These stunning plants are neat, free-flowering plants which grow really well at the base of trees and shrubs as a bedding plant.
Hardy cyclamen also grows really well in winter pots and can then be planted in the garden after flowering.
11. Ligustrum
This plant thrives in full sun and partial shade and is quite a popular choice as ornamental potted plants, especially in the Southwestern US states.
12. Creeping Jenny
Creeping Jenny is an ivy-like plant that does well as groundcover, but it can also grow in a pot especially while producing a vine-like effect in a hanging pot or a tall pot.
They do well in sun or partial shade. Make sure the containers have good drainage but water regularly, keeping the soil moist.
Creeping Jenny does well as a houseplant too, but will enjoy a cooler spot in the winter.
13. Helleborus niger (Christmas Rose)
This evergreen plant boasts a flower that looks much like a buttercup and is known affectionately as a Christmas Rose.
As the weather worsens, the wild white rose feeds off of it and produces large, round, white flowers with lots of deep green foliage.
14. Blue Spruce
The blue spruce tree is a visually perfect winter plant.
It is hardy in zones 2-7, prefers full sun, and is suitable for a large portion of climates.
15. Snowdrops
Snowdrops are affectionately named after their white petals which look a lot like drops of snow or ice.
It’s best to plant these in the late summer or fall, but they thrive far into late winter.
16. Heuchera (Coral Bells)
Most coral bells are evergreen but the plants will go dormant during the winter months.
They will need to be watered once a month to prevent them from drying out.
Coral bells can easily be placed in an unheated garage or a shed with a window.
17. Ornamental Cabbages
As the weather reaches low temperature, ornamental cabbage and kale are leafy plants that produce bright foliage and the color only gets more intense with colder weather.
Another great idea if you have a larger pot is to place your ornamental cabbage in the center and put pansies in the surrounding soil.
Tips for Preparing Winter Plants for Pots
- Select a frostproof container – Choose a pot with drainage holes in the bottom.
Clay and terracotta pots are prone to cracking in frost so they should be avoided in most cases as outdoor pots during the winter.
Some good options for winter pots include fiberglass, wood, treated terra cotta, and plastic pots as they’ll offer extra protection for your plant.
You can even try out some window boxes.
Concrete and cement are very reliable in winter months. Here are 3 really unique DIY concrete planters you make– a cement balloon planter, vibrantly dyed concrete planter and this modern white concrete planter.
- Choose a good potting soil – Use a mix that is specifically made for containers as it provides essential drainage.
- Stop feeding plants in the fall – Stop feeding your plants about 6-8 weeks before your first frost date.
This prevents new growth which is often tender and won’t survive the winter. You can start feeding them again next spring.
- Water – Water plants as needed until the soil in the container is frozen.
Do not continue watering frozen pots because the plants won’t be able to absorb water.
Can flower pots stay outside in winter?
As a general rule of thumb, yes. There are many hardy perennial plants and shrubs that are hardy plants for pots for outdoors and the winter weather.
However, plants or shrubs for containers are a bit different than plants in the ground. They are a bit more reliant on you for their care.
If your plant is hardy to two zones colder than the area that you are located, it is likely a good candidate for surviving the winter in a container.
Are there any flowers that bloom in the winter?
You absolutely don’t have to wait for spring to enjoy flowering plants. There are many hardy flowering plants such as:
- Cyclamen
- Snowdrops
- Winter pansies
- Hellebores
- Hardy clematis
What evergreens grow well in pots?
Plants with evergreen foliage make great plants for winter containers.
- Japanese Yew
- Potted Blue Spruce
- Boxwood Hedge
- Cypress Topiary
And when spring comes, it will be time to bring those less hardy plants back outside.
That’s what I’ll be doing to decorate the concrete paver patio we recently built. Come take a look!
Don’t forget to Pin it for later!
Garden plants on the open balcony in winter: mission possible?
EventsIdeasUseful little thingsGarden decorsLandscape designOtherTips
29.01.2018
Landscape design
Russian winter leaves little space for gardeners to express themselves. Of course, during this period, it remains possible to temporarily switch to indoor floriculture, in particular, the creation of plant compositions in flowerpots on city balconies and loggias.
Let's say right away - there are few solutions for the cold season, there are many difficulties. Even if you manage to choose frost-resistant plants that can grow well in pots in winter, alternating snowfalls and heavy rains threaten to negate the entire decorative effect of landscaping an open balcony.
Yet true gardening enthusiasts are up for the challenge! We have selected plants that can decorate an unglazed balcony in winter. So it is quite possible to create a frosty oasis that will not lose its charm even under a layer of snow.
Important! The vast majority of winter hardy plants do not tolerate stagnant water in the ground. Therefore, task number 1 is to choose the right pots for the balcony. It should have thick walls and good water and air permeability characteristics. Additional insulation of the pot inside will not hurt either. Terracotta and ceramic pots and planters are best suited, but glass and metal are best left until warmer times.
Heather
Of course, heat-loving indoor flowers on the balcony will not survive, but some types of plants tolerate winter conditions well, retaining their beauty and decorative effect. For example, heather is an evergreen perennial with a lilac-purple color that contrasts beautifully with white snow.
In a garden in winter, heather requires shelter, as it is adversely affected by excessive moisture during thaws. But the atmosphere of the city balcony is quite to his liking - it is enough to transplant a heather bush into a planter and provide a "roof over his head."
Ornamental cabbage
Ornamental cabbage is a new favorite of landscape designers and gardeners in Russia. Unpretentiousness, frost resistance and expressive leaves that become brighter with the onset of cold weather make it an excellent solution for decorating a balcony. Ornamental cabbage easily tolerates transplanting into a container, winters well outdoors without additional insulation and is an excellent "companion" for decorative compositions in flowerpots.
Conifers and evergreens
The classics of winter gardening of a balcony in our latitudes are evergreen trees and shrubs. Dwarf spruce, pine, thuja, cedar in large pots will not only improve your view from the window, but will also become the basis for stunning Christmas compositions.
Conifers in flowerpots, some snow and a couple of garlands are a traditional recipe for a good mood in winter.
Euonymus
Euonymus is an evergreen shrub or tree, the main decoration of which is bright leaves that turn into various variations of pink, crimson and purple. Pleasing with unusual shades and fruits-boxes, which sometimes persist until the very frost. Many varieties of euonymus feel comfortable at a temperature of -35 0 C - however, only in the garden. When planted in a flower pot, the frost resistance of the plant decreases, although they are still able to withstand a small minus.
Hellebore
A beautiful winter flower that can live in a pot on a balcony up to -10 0 C. Its natural flowering starts in November and ends in spring. Expressive snow-white flowers look spectacular in flowerpots, as well as in bouquets and decorative compositions with dried flowers and moss.
In severe frosts, the plant "hibernates" and looks frozen, but this impression is deceptive - the hellebore simply draws moisture from the buds to prevent them from freezing. To protect the flower from frost and temperature changes, it is recommended to cover the plant with coniferous spruce branches.
Outdoor balcony garden in summer
It is not a problem to decorate a balcony with plants in the spring and summer period - many plants grow well on an open balcony in the warm season. Dwarf trees in large pots, flower arrangements on the windowsill, climbing and liana-like plants falling from the brackets for hanging planters - the balcony can be turned into an urban “garden branch” (and we will definitely devote a separate article to this issue!).
If you are lucky enough to be the owner of an openwork balcony with a wrought iron railing (the so-called "French balcony"), you can place hanging flower pots outside.
Such balconies are often found in buildings of the 19th century on the old streets of Moscow and other large cities. By planting spectacular fuchsias or decorating the lattice with a winding cascade of ivy, you can create a spectacular accent on the facade and collect a lot of pluses in karma from aesthetes, tourists and connoisseurs of atmospheric urban details.
Note! If you are looking for a gift for home gardeners, take a look at houseplant gift set from the English brand Burgon & Ball in association with the Royal Horticultural Society. Unsurpassed quality and original design of tools and accessories have been the choice of British aristocratic gardeners since 1730!
13 best indoor flowers blooming in winter on the windowsill
Indoor flowers have long been an essential attribute of window sills. They perfectly complement the interior, create comfort, saturate the dry air of apartments with oxygen. With a huge variety of species of domestic plants, everyone can choose specimens to their liking - climbing, ferns, cacti.
But many still prefer flowering. From mid-October, most indoor flowers go into a dormant state. They require less watering, new greens do not form, the root system develops poorly. But it is in the winter that you want to enjoy the flowers, as a reminder of the warm summer, you want to add color to the gray and boring landscape outside the window.
Winter flowering plants can help with this. The winter period for them is a time of intensive growth, and not rest, like many others.
To decorate your home, you can choose any of the following.
Tables
- Indoor flowers and plants blooming on the windowsill in winter
- Azalia
- Poinsettia
- Decembrist
- Japanese Camellia
- Gemini
- Orchid
- Bromeliads
- Bulbs
Azalea
Flower growers prefer to grow Indian azalea. It is not as whimsical as other species of this plant, but at the same time it is not inferior to them in beauty.
With proper care, the azalea blooms so profusely that sometimes leaves are not even visible from under the fluffy cap of flowers. For azalea, cool, moist air and diffused light are favorable.
In order to provide the necessary conditions for flowering, plant pot is covered with ice cubes .
AzaleaAzalea does not tolerate direct sunlight. In summer, on a brightly lit windowsill, it can die.
Poinsettia
Known as the "Christmas Star". Poinsettia has become popular due to the bright bracts - leaves collected in star-shaped rosettes that frame small flowers.
In the classic version, the bracts are bright red, however, in the process of selection, agronomists have bred varieties with white, pink and cream colors.
PoinsettiaPoinsettia - poisonous . When the leaves or stem are injured, poisonous milky juice is released.
Decembrist
This cactus got its name precisely because the flowering period is at the end of November - beginning of December .
In nature, it grows in tropical forests and gardens, in which there is little light and high humidity.
During the flowering period, the Decembrist needs abundant watering. The earth must not dry out. And, conversely, from March to September, during the dormant period, watering should be reduced to a minimum. In summer, the Decembrist is best placed outdoors - on a balcony or terrace, choosing a shady place.
DecembristDuring bud formation, the plant must not be disturbed. Do not rearrange and even just turn the pot.
Japanese camellia
Extraordinarily beautiful, but fastidious plant. In order for the camellia to please with its flowers, you need to work hard. With insufficient care, it sheds flowers, buds, and even leaves.
The lightest room is suitable for placing camellias . But not direct sunlight, but diffused light. For flowering, she needs more than 12 hours of light, so in winter, additional lighting is needed.
Japanese camellia needs high humidity . Therefore, it must be often sprayed, and moistened drainage should be placed at the bottom of the pot.
Cyclamens
These are perennial plants with tuberous roots. Cyclamen blooms from autumn to early spring . Flowers resemble butterflies hovering over oval leaves. Cyclamens are very sensitive to overflow, however, and drying up an earthen clod is very dangerous.
If the soil is dry, place the cyclamen in a basin of water for about 45 minutes. The dormant period for cyclamen is May-June. At this time, sheds flowers and leaves.
CyclamenThe plant is poisonous. Cyclamen juice in contact with the skin causes severe irritation. When transplanting, gloves must be used.
Guzmania
Very unpretentious plant. It is a bunch of elongated green leaves and a beautiful flower, usually red or pink. In houses it grows up to 40 cm in height, and in nature it can reach 70-80 cm.
Overfilling is very dangerous for Guzmania. It is recommended not to water the soil, but to leave the water in the pan.
Hipperastrum
Large, bright flowers of the hipperastrum will not leave anyone indifferent. Does not require special attention , it is enough to follow simple rules of care to achieve flowering.
Hyperastrum - light and thermophilic. However, diffused light is still preferable.
HippeastrumWatering should be organized in such a way that water does not fall on the bulb. It is ideal to add water to the tray.
Orchid
This exotic plant has become a habitual resident of our homes. Most often in flower shops you can buy an orchid - phalaenopsis. The most important part is its roots. It is on their condition that the life of an orchid depends.
Phalaenopsis Do not water the substrate in which the orchid grows. Water entering the rosette of leaves can lead to rotting.
