Winter pots ?

[gingeroots]

I have a few on my ugly forecourt ,the geraniums and petunias are still flowering away but soon I'd like to revamp for winter .

I have some bulbs from Lidls but I'm not really sure what to put on top .

The pots are quite big ( sorry vague I know ,will measure later ,but probably about 2 ' high ) and I'd like something largeish to go in them .

I do love cyclamen but feel maybe they're too delicate looking for big pots ?

And ...what's best to do with the geranium ? They've been left in before and reflowered in the summer .Should I leave them in situ ? Cut back ? How much ?

I've never done planting in pots for winter so any advice gratefully received .

I've always been disappointed with pots in the winter, if what you mean is that you want flowers now, or flowers once the geraniums are done, though bulbs will come up in the spring.

We have a wet climate here and even the winter pansies looked miserable. Last year I put in ivy, thinking that that would be bound to grow and provide a bit of colour, but it didn't really and looked almost as straggly as when I put it in at the end of the winter.

I have a dwarf fir tree in the garden which I'm going to dig up and put in this year, might put some miniature daffs round it ready for the spring.

I would say teh geranium will survive if the winter is not too severe. I put my tubs by the end wall of the garage in a sheltered spot which gets a bit of rain and not much sun (which would dry them out) and they usually survive ok.

Thanks for that . I think I'll put some ferns and ivy in and just go for a green look .

Do you have a Morrisons nearby?

Ours has all sorts for winter planters - ivy, cyclamen, pansies, viola, miniature golden conifers, bulbs of all descriptions. Primroses are 50p this week

Which part of the country are you in and which direction do the pots face?

I took my geraniums up last year and relocated them to the greenhouse. I might try taking cuttings this year as well so I end up with millions of plants next year

I'm the opposite of Scooby if you hadn't guessed I love winter pots and baskets

Cyclamen are probably my favourite winter flower. I tend to group them with aforementioned tiny golden conifer and/or winter cherry (solanum). The colour contrast makes them a bit more visible from afar and I like a bit of height at the back to balance the size of the pot.

Love ferns too although a lot of mine die back in winter. I might have to investigate some other varieties!

I've found that ivy doesn't get going until the following year so buy slightly bigger plants if you're looking for instant impact.

Scooby - it's very wet where I am too, and the 'trad' suggestions for winter bedding struggle here as well!

I've gone for terracotta pots (you can buy frost-resistant ones, e.g. Yorkshire flowerpots, which have a kind of cementitious layer between the terracotta layers) with quite bold, structural things. And LOTS and LOTS of drainage - e.g. lollipop bay trees with loads of grit in the mix and plenty of crocks at the bottom, box balls, topiary holly, and a bit of sarcococca confusa for that lovely winter scent. Cyclamen seem to do quite well for colour.

`cementitious' - what a great word, shove!

I use winter-flowering violas for colour - more weather-resistant than larger flowered pansies and any bulbs you plant in the pot can grow up through them. The violas will still be going strong when the bulbs flower in the spring

The only thing that has ever flowered through the winter and into spring for me is heather.

Last year the heather withstood everything the weather threw at it.

My favorite mix is purple winter pansies, bright pink cyclamen and solanum. With a dwarf conifer for height. Add some miniature narcissus for spring.

Agree that lots of drainage is essential.

I like pieris

Though I am freaking out a bit trying to enjoy the autumn without thinking too much about the winter or spring. These days one is bombarded by marketing for the new season' well before the new season is here
I know that gardeners always plant and plan for the coming months its true, but sometimes I just want to stop and look and not worry too much if there is only foliage and no flower
Anyway last winter I thought the opposite and wanted a garden which flowered through the winter: so

sarcococca
daphne
clematis jingle bells
winter jasmine
cyclamen
camellia sasanqua
mahonia

all flower in the winter

Well lots of good advice here ,thanks .

Just back from Lidls where I bought some heather and some pieris little heath .
But google tells me they both like acidic soil .So my question is ..if I use ericaeous compost in a container for them will it affect the growth of other plants I might want to add ? Thinking violas ,cyclamen,ivy

What do people think ?

Hmmmm, I've just put my heather in normal compost the last few years. That said I've never managed to transfer one to a flower bed successfully and perhaps that is why?

Can't offer any advice other than that as I'm not an expert. Sure someone skilled will be along in a mo!