I ALWAYS feel optimistic at this time of year. Ever since I realised that winter does not have to be a time of empty borders and empty containers, I make a few simple container plantings to bring light and life to our shortest days.
But why wait until December or January? Make up winter containers now and you can choose from a vast range of early bulbs, shrubs and perennials. Start now, and your plants will be settled in before chilly weather hits and be much more likely to take winter in their stride.
Flowers and foliage
Plants for winter containers come in three broad groups. Flowers, first, of course, including early bulbs, violas and pansies, plus select winter-flowering shrubs. Foliage is an even more important feature,
