autumn winter pots baskets

I am putting winter flowering pansies trailing Ivy, mixed primulas some bulbs - dwarf Narcissus & Iris and miniture conifer in mine. Although my baskets and a couple of containers are quite big, I do put a lot in. I tried snowdrops one year but they tend not to flower in the first year so they are in the ground. One year I tried just greenary but I got awfully fed up with them by January. Tip do not use the smallest plugs of pansies

depending on the size try cyclamen, winter pansies, ivy, bellis daisies,evergreen ferns, dwarf heathers, minature hebes . also plant minature daffs, tulips. and or crocus, snowdrops and any other small bulb you like eg muscari, pushkinia etc.

I have had all these over the years and some i keep coming back to over and over again. cyclamen and violas with iris reticulata under planted.

Polyanthus and trailing greenery -eg ivy etc and some Tete a Tete daffs plus a tiny wee rockery conifer for height in the hanging baskets all seem to survive whatever our silly climate throws at us! Like the others say - NEVER go for the cheap small plugs plants....false economy....buy as big as you can afford - they will reward you handsomely

I like to stick a bronze grass in the middle - carex buchanii looks good all winter. It gives height and colour and texture and halves the number of plugs you need.

What a great idea, Romneya...sounds good to me....must keep that idea up my sleeve for when I do the baskets....and that will be soon now - where has the year gone...LOL

Yes Romneya carex idea sounds good.

I've used little Skimmias, too - especially the new one called 'Magic Marlot'...it looked great with red pansies and white crocuses. I potted it up and now it's ready to go back in a container again.

I have a Photinia 'Little Red Robin' that I keep from year to year, as well.

Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' looks wonderful as a centre, too - with blue pansies and white Scillas & Iris reticulata.

The skimmia idea sounds good. Hope to see some pics in this long winter!

If you have a decent sized pot by your door, why not plant a winter-flowering honeysuckle? They lose their leaves in autumn, then around Jan-Feb they have tiny white and yellow flowers and the scent is just gorgeous! The flowers also provide a bit of nectar for early-foraging bees on fine days so everyone benefits.