How to Create a Winter Planter

It’s fun and easy to create winter-inspired planters for your front porch and other outdoor spaces.

Author: Niki Jabbour

Materials:

A pot. The container should be filled with old potting soil, garden soil, or sand to anchor the arrangement.

Greenery. You can use a variety of greenery like balsam fir, pine, spruce, false cypress, holly, and boxwood.

Berries. Including branches with berries - real or artificial - is the best way to add a pop of colour to your winter arrangement.

Branches. Any type of branches will do. Popular choices include tall narrow branches to provide vertical interest, the twisted branches of curly willow for whimsy, or the brilliant red twigs of dogwood shrubs for bold colour. Or, select birch stems which can be clustered in the middle of the pot to show off their attractive bark.

Other decorations. Pinecones, glittery stars, and other decorative elements add festive fun to your planter.

How to Create a Winter Planter

1	Start with the centerpiece of your planter by inserting the tall branches or twigs. Make sure they’re straight and pushed firmly into the soil.
2	Once the centerpiece is in place, begin to add greenery. Be sure to push the cut ends of the boughs into the soil to anchor them. Continue to layer the branches around the centrepiece so that you have a well-filled arrangement. Every few branches, take a step back to make sure the planter looks balanced and is evenly filled.
3	Tuck a few short pieces of greenery at the front of the arrangement to spill over the sides of the pot and disguise any branch stems.
4	Add the decorative elements - pinecones, glittery stars, Christmas ornaments, or berries.