Create a Winter Container Garden

The cold weather doesn't mean the end for colorful plant displays. There are many flowers and plants that thrive in the winter. The best part is, you can find interesting textures to add to your winter planters in your own yard. 

You will need pots, potting soil and cold-hardy plants. I selected pansies, dusty miller, variegated euphorbia and trailing rosemary. These are hardy varieties for my zone 7 home. Select appropriate plants for your zone.

Decide if you are going to use one large planter or several smaller ones. If you are using one large planter, place it in its final location before planting, as will probably be too heavy to move afterwards. For convenience, I used three smaller terra-cotta pots.

When planting a combination of plants, it's best to start with the tallest or largest plant. This is the anchor plant. The euphorbia is set off center and toward the back because it will be nearest a wall. For 360 degree viewing, the anchor plant may be best placed in the center of the pot.