Putting together my winter container garden is something I look forward to each year. I usually wait until December for the indoor decorating, but I figure I can start with my outdoor pot in November. It’s nice to put things together when the soil hasn’t frozen solid! My black iron urn is home to four seasons of arrangements. The winter one is the most different because I’m not trying to keep anything alive. It’s just a lovely assortment of fir, juniper, and cedar boughs, sticks, maybe some holly or magnolia leaves, and an accessory or two.

Assemble the materials for your winter container garden

First things first, you want to gather your supplies. Sometimes this takes me a few days to pull together. I like to shop around and see what’s happening at different local nurseries, but I usually have some sort of theme or color idea in mind. At Savvy Gardening, we also love to source from our gardens.

If you’re cutting your own branches and boughs, you need to make sure that you’re making considerate cuts with clean hand pruners. I have a couple cedar and juniper shrubs in my backyard that I always use. I’ll supplement the design with pine boughs from a local nursery and any other interesting greenery—magnolia leaves, variegated holly, yew, etc. One year I took a few branches of euonymus. I also like to add a bit of height with sticks. And a few years ago on a hike, I found the perfect birch branch that I cut in three and use in my winter container garden almost every year.

Lastly, collect any accessories and materials you think you’ll want to use: Ribbon, little twinkle lights, garland, seed pods, ornaments, fun items on a stick (you’ll see what I mean below).

Putting it all together

When you’re ready to assemble, it’s really just a matter of eyeballing where everything goes and arranging accordingly. Some people will mound the soil in their container to help add height (and depending where you live, to freeze the branches in place). I like to use the thrillers, fillers, and spillers concept used in summer containers to make my winter creations. As you add materials, take a step back and see how your pot looks from afar, making small adjustments and additions, as necessary.

Winter container garden ideas

What follows are pots that I’ve put together or that I’ve seen on my neighborhood walks. I think it’s always fun to have some unexpected decorative element. Every year, I see fun accessories at the garden center—skis, pinecones, glittery stars, fake bullrushes, bells, faux berries, etc. My go-to is a metal deer that’s rusted to a lovely patina, and that doesn’t look Christmassy after the holidays.

Add unexpected greenery

Pine and cedar are pretty standard, so sometimes I like to add one more leafy green element. One year I fell in love with variegated holly branches (in fact, you can find some lovely faux holly branches that could be reused every year). They added some lovely contrast. I also love the double-sided leaves of magnolia, which add brown to the mix, and the frothy nature of seeded eucalyptus for its texture.

Decorate an evergreen

One year, I had my eye on a perfectly shaped dwarf Alberta spruce. I was a bit dubious about it surviving the winter, but I was assured by the garden center it would be okay. However, just to be sure, I lined the apple crate that it was going into with landscape fabric and filled the empty spaces around the pot with fall leaves. This insulation was hidden by a “skirt” of cedar branches. Battery-operated fairy lights completed the look.

Source colorful sticks

There are so many colorful sticks available at my local nurseries—red and yellow dogwood, curly willow, burgundy pussy willows, and more. I also pull out the same birch logs every year that I found on a hike and carried home in my backpack.

Hang it on your window

If you have them, window boxes provide a different, elongated shape to work with and dress up a the front of a home or shed for the holidays. They’re often protected by awnings or eaves, which may help determine which materials you use. Either way, don’t forget to fill them for the winter!

Pack everything tightly

This lovely big container is well thought out and artfully put together. It would have taken a hefty amount of materials to look lush and full. My urn is always a bit more free-flowing and loosey goosey. I love the addition of the neutral-colored artificial roses, and the dark leaves set at the back. Another tip from this is that odd numbers rule for bigger objects, like the birch logs.

Include ribbon in your winter container garden design

Outdoor ribbon is sturdier than traditional ribbon, weatherproof, and should withstand rain and snow cover. A thicker ribbon that has wire running through it makes it easier to create sturdy (rather than floppy) bows. I’ll usually head over to YouTube to watch videos on how to craft the perfect bow.

I also like the look that you can achieve by taking some types of ribbon that are lighter, almost like tulle, and shoving little handfuls here and there. Or, you can weave it over and under the branches to really hold it in place during windy winter days.

Don’t be afraid to go faux

There are some artificial materials that look absolutely real and others that look deliberately fake. Both can add a real pop of personality to a winter container garden. The roses in this stunning arrangement add a traditional splash of red, but in an unexpected way. Also, check out that curly willow!

Throw unexpected hues in your winter container garden

I would never think of adding purple to a winter container, but look at this, it totally works! Also, is that a real apple in there? Look for faux branches that will withstand harsh winter conditions.

Include seed pods, pine cones and other nature finds

A couple of the places I go to source winter container materials offer packages of interesting seed pods. One year I clipped some rose of Sharon branches with the seed pods hanging off the end (because I’d neglected to shear them off that year). I tucked them in the middle of my arrangement. Think about items you can grow in your garden that, when dried, will make it into holiday arrangements. Keep an eye to the ground on nature walks, too.

Light it up

There are some really fun miniature lights that illuminate your creation at night. Make sure the package indicates they’re for outdoor use. Find a way to wrap a string around an evergreen or entwine lights in your branches.

Watch Tara create a gorgeous Winter Garden Container Arrangement for her front porch in this video:

More holiday décor ideas for indoors and out

• • Winter hanging basket ideas
  • Christmas wreath materials
  • A quick boxwood wreath
  • Planting amaryllis bulbs
  • Mini holdiay houseplants
  • Paperwhite care