Winter Hanging Baskets
As winter comes back around its time to look at adding some bursts of colour to your hanging baskets. From hardy plants, to colour and a touch of greenery, we’ve thought about it all. There’s nothing better than looking out the window on a dull winters day and seeing your hanging basket thriving.
Great For Colour
We all know that winter pansies and violas are a firm favourite for colour when it comes to winter hanging baskets, but wouldn’t variety make a lovely change? While we know that we are limited on our options for a bit of winter colour, especially when we want to plant in a hanging basket or a pot.
A classy addition to your winter baskets are the ever stunning cyclamen. Whether you are looking to theme your baskets (such as red berries and green for a Christmassy effect, or whites for the snowy feel) there are a range of colours you can add to give the desired effect.
To capture that magical berry effect, try adding the robust Skimmia Japonica to your hanging basket (or even pots). Different sub varieties offer a range of different colours to suit your desired look.
Another versatile colourful option is the beautiful Helebore. Available in even more colours than the others we have mentioned, this is truly the perfect spurt of colour for your garden, wherever you decide to plant it.
Great For Greenery
Evergreens are a great thing to have in any part of your garden all year round. They offer bursts of brightness even in the harshest of weather conditions. So Why not add some stunning greenery into your hanging basket to compliment your bright colours?
If you’re looking for a wonderful trailing effect, Ivy makes a great addition, especially if you are looking at side planting.
To add a touch of height to your hanging baskets, adding a dwarf lemon cypress will give you a great effect. After the hanging basket has finished for the season these look great in a border all year round.
Great For The Cold
With the climate in the UK progressively giving us hotter summers and colder winters, it might be worth adding some hardy plants to your winter baskets, just to ensure when the frost hits, you have some survivors if nothing else makes it.
For little spurts of colour try adding some winter flowering heather to your baskets. This addition will ensure that you have a hardy plant that also adds colour.
When Should I Plant Up?
October is a great time to plant up your winter hanging baskets. Try to plant up outdoors (we know it might be a bit chilly!) as the changing of temperature from inside your warm house to the great outdoors can affect your roots.
Little Tips
As with summer hanging baskets, don’t forget to use your basket fleece or some moss to help protect your roots from the cold. If your basket has a plastic liner inside already, remember to check there are drainage holes. While this doesn’t matter too much in summer as your plants can benefit from the collected water, too much pooled water during winter can contribute to root rot or freeze your roots in extreme cold.
If you need any help with your garden over the winter period Abingdon’s Complete Garden Services are here to help. Contact us today to discuss your needs and how we can help you beat the big freeze this year.