Plants for pots that thrive in winter?

[madmumNika]

Any ideas what plants will look good in outside pots over the winter? All my annuals are now dying off and I'd like to keep something growing & preferably looking nice in my pots over the colder months? We live in Northern Ireland so they need to be fairly hardy too! We have a small garden so I use pots quite a bit to make it look nicer (plus house is on the market). Thank you- I'm a beginner at gardening so not much of a clue I'm afraid!! xx

Garden centres should have lots of winter pansies, heathers, cyclamen and polyanthus at the moment. Plant up with a little ivy and they will look lovely and colourful. I remember doing the same thing when our house was on the market!

You could chuck some bulbs in as well if you want something to look forward to in the Spring. Some of the dwarf daffs look really good and are early flowering. Ditto spring irises and species tulips. Larger varieties of daffs and tulips will be in flower a little later.

If you wanted something more perenial you can get little dwarf conifers that look smart (the ones I'm thinking of are quite a limey green) and they'd add a little height.

I have a set of pots outside the front of my house that are full of polyanthus and cyclamen. They have been flowering for the past couple of months and will keep on going through the frosts and for some time yet!!!