What to plant in containers for winter? HELP! (live, garden)

[lusochic]

I have 2 urns on my porch which are currently empty. Anything I can plant that will do well in a container through the winter? Small trees? Ivy? I'd like to "set it & forget it"

It is only partly sunny, mostly shade. thanks in advance!

[Native_Son]

2 urns on a shady porch... that's tough!

I'd suggest some chard or crocus maybe. Ivy will do well. If the containers are large there are some Japanese maple varieties that would do well... if you select a maple get one that has some winter interest (colored stems, form) and it could provide a nice architectural quality for a multi-plant container.

There are tons others you could plant and would live, but they do their best work in fall or early spring (sedum, creeping jenny, even verbena).

Good luck!

[coastalgirl]

my neighbor has a shady porch and she puts fake ivy around real seasonal flowers. That way, she can just replace the flowers if they start to have a hard time. You could also do some type of small evergreen. That would look pretty all year long!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Ornamental cabbage or kale always looks good in the South in the winter.

[lumbollo]

If these urns are terracotta, keep in mind the winter weather here can crack them. I've had this misfortune before. However the two things that come to mind are pansies and/or ormental Kale or other vegetable from the cole family. They need some sun however.

[brokensky]

If anyone figures this out, let me know (for winter). I have two on my front porch (south facing). One year, I managed to keep pansies in them, but the containers really need something with height. Out of desperation, I put fake topiaries in them. They faded, lol. So that was no solution.

[coastalgirl]

Ani, did you think of putting small evergreens in? I don't know how big your containers are, but there are some really cute miniature trees. They would be great with Christmas lights on them - even all year! I'm starting to think I need to do this...

[brokensky]

Originally Posted by coastalgirl

Ani, did you think of putting small evergreens in? I don't know how big your containers are, but there are some really cute miniature trees. They would be great with Christmas lights on them - even all year! I'm starting to think I need to do this...

Hey, coastalgirl! Yeah, the first year I moved here, I put Albertas in, and also put three more in the yard in a small garden near the driveway.

All of them died.

I have little Sago palms in them right now (got them this year). The interior pots are removable so I figured I would have to bring them inside. Anyone think they will survive on a sunny south facing porch?

[smclarke4]

I left a couple of banana trees outside last year and they came back this year. I was very surprised but I don't think I am going to take a chance again this year. I second the small dwarf tree shrub thing for the urns on the shady porch.

[lusochic]

thanks for all your input.

Ani, I too, put Alberta spruces in them the first year, and they just died on me. Might have had something to do with my lack of watering though..

I will try again this year. I DO love how they look with the little white lights at Christmas!