Winter is the dormant season for many gardens, but you can still boost curb appeal with front porch pots. Choose the right plants and you can create gorgeous mixes for winter containers.
Many magical DIY holiday porch pot ideas will take you through Christmas, but these easy planting recipes can be achieved at the last minute and have a broader appeal that extends beyond the festive season, for a fabulous display all winter and spring.
When planting any winter containers, follow the pro design trick of thriller, filler, spiller for the best results. Choose a filler plant, one for the center that adds a “wow” factor, and a plant that spills over the sides.
Here are five easy and quick winter recipes to get you started – but substitute with any similar plants available at the garden center. Alternatively, visit the Gardening Know How Shop to find a range of stunning winter plants – from dainty hellebores to festive evergreens.
1. Let the Foliage Shine
Even hardy plants will struggle to produce flowers in winter. This is a time to let foliage take center stage. Many plants have striking leaves that really shine in winter. Try this recipe for a stunning winter mix.
- Ornamental Cabbage or Kale
Use an ornamental kale or cabbage for your foliage thriller. These pretty plants make perfect centerpieces for a winter container with their ruffled leaves in shades of green, white, and purple. They are suitable for USDA zones 2 through 11.
- Hellebore
For your filler, choose hellebore, which grows low in clumps and comes in a variety of foliage shades. As a bonus, they’ll start producing flowers early, before most other plants in spring. This stunning Gold Collection Champion hellebore is available in the Gardening Know How Shop. Hellebores are compatible with USDA zones 3 through 9.
- English Ivy
This classic vine is easy to grow, is hardy down to zone 4, and provides good winter evergreen color. Because it can be an aggressive and invasive grower, ivy is best contained to pots.
2. A Pop of Color
It can be hard to get color in the garden in winter, but this mix is the exception. Create this pretty recipe to make a dramatic mix that really stands out when it snows.
- Ornamental Grass
Hardy ornamental grasses are great for adding winter color. Use one for your thriller element. Zebra grass, pink muhly grass, and Japanese blood grass are great choices, but hardiness varies. Choose a grass that matches your hardiness zone – the Gardening Know How Shop stocks a range of gorgeous grasses that can be narrowed down by zone.
- Pansies
Pansies are among the few flowers that bloom readily in cooler weather. Use these to fill in the spaces under the tall ornamental grass. You can find pansies in shades of yellow, pink, and purple. Grow them in zones 4 through 11.
- Creeping Jenny
The bright yellow-green leaves of this spiller plant are perfect for a colorful mix. Creeping Jenny is hardy in zones 4 through 9.
3. Evergreen Mix
Evergreen plants are no-brainers for a winter container garden. It’s easy to find varieties that grow in your hardiness zone. Choose a small tree for the thriller, a creeping or vining evergreen for the spiller, and a compact plant for the filler. This recipe is just one example of how to make this idea work.
- Lemon Cypress
Hardy in zones 7 through 10, this pretty evergreen tree is great for warmer climates in winter. It will eventually grow tall, but you can use it as a thrilling centerpiece for your winter containers.
- Creeping Juniper
This low, groundcover type of evergreen is a perfect spiller element for a container. Hardy in zones 3 through 9, it has a pretty blue-green color. Alternatively, Blue Star juniper, available in the Gardening Know How Shop, is a stunning low-growing variety.
- Wintercreeper
This broadleaf evergreen contrasts nicely with the coniferous foliage of cypress and juniper. Also known as climbing euonymus (Euonymus fortunei), it is hardy in zones 4 through 9 and has interesting variegated green and gold coloring.
4. A Winter Herb Garden
Some herbs are pretty hardy and can be grown in winter as part of a seasonal container. Use all herbs or mix them with one or two other types of plants for more variety.
Planning ahead for next year, herbs are easy to grow from seed – the Gardening Know How Shop offers a variety of delicious aromatic herb varieties.
Try this easy mix to enjoy a pretty container you can also harvest for use in the kitchen.
- Rosemary
This fragrant evergreen herb makes a great thriller element. It grows as a small shrub and can be harvested for holiday cooking or decorations. Rosemary is hardy in zones 8 through 10.
- Creeping Thyme
This is an ideal herbal spiller. Creeping thyme has a low, spreading growth habit, so it will spill over the sides of your winter herb pot. It’s very hardy, even as far north as zone 2.
- Sage
Another herb that will grow well in a winter container, sage is also ideal for seasonal cooking. Use it as your filler element. Hardy in zones 4 through 10, sage comes in many varieties. Choose a type with unique foliage, like purple or tricolor sage, to contrast with the green color of the rosemary and thyme.
5. All is White
If you live somewhere that doesn’t reliably get snow, or get snow at all, create the color of the season with this recipe for a winter pot.
- White Ornamental Kale or Cabbage
Choose a white variety of ornamental kale or cabbage to be your thriller in this festive container.
- Dusty Miller
The soft, silvery foliage of this filler plant will mix well with the other elements in a white-themed container. It is hardy in zones 8 through 11.
- Sweet Alyssum
This pretty spilling element blooms with an abundance of tiny white flowers. Hardy in zones 5 through 9, sweet alyssum is easy to grow from seeds – available in the Gardening Know How Shop. It's a great white element for warmer winter gardens.
Whether designing your own porch pots or adding seasonal interest to beds and borders, the Gardening Know How Shop is your go-to plant source.
More Winter Plant Inspiration
- Plant pots with appeal all year round with the 6 best plants for four-season containers.
- Discover bold and beautiful Christmas flowering plants that will make a big impact over the holidays.
- A miniature real Christmas tree makes a delightful table centerpiece – discover the best varieties brimming with festive charm.
This article features products available from third-party vendors on the Gardening Know How Shop.
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