Its Autumn, and we see our gardens beginning to show it. Even in the toughest of summer annuals are waving goodbye, and our perennials are begging to be released to sleep out the long season ahead. Leaves are dropping, the doledrum of winter is upon us……

……Not so fast! There is still the wonderful world of Evergreen, and it’s high time we celebrate it. The first thing some of us may think is, “Evergreen? But I want COLOR!” And while others of us are aware that evergreen plants offer more color than green alone, we may not have ever noticed how much color. How much? Every color of the rainbow….

Sometime, give yourself an education and a visual treat at the same time. Take a walk around a well stocked nursery in late fall or winter, when the color of the annuals and perennials are missing, and the deciduous plants have lost their leaves. Really observe the diversity offered in evergreen plants. Not only will you notice a wonderful array of color, but you will also begin to notice the vast assortment of foliage texture.

Then, note the difference in habit, or form. Some plants are spire shaped, and grow upward, with tiy needles or scales. Some have huge glossy leaves that billow out elaborately. Some weep and have colorful berries. Some are contorted, while others grow in perfect symmetry. Ahh, now you’ve got a problem. Not how limited you are in evergreen choices for your containers, but, quite the opposite… “There’s so much… how will I ever choose?”

There are as many container garden options as there are styles of clothes or designs of indoor furniture and spaces. So look around you, and take stock of what you have chosen to express yourself in those areas. Do you like Tommy Bahama? Go for a tropical motif in your containers and plant selection. Choose bold, playful pots and plants. Or perhaps you love simplicity. Maybe you’re drawn to Zen. Structural earth-toned containers, with a few contrasting shrubs will evoke a feeling of calm and wel-being with total sophistication.

At this point, one might ask…  “But won’t some of these plants eventually outgrow their pots?” Yes, some of them will, eventually. It’s a good idea to select dwarf or slow growing shrubs and trees for your containers, but even so, there will come a time when you will want to replace some of your plants and rotate in new ones as some begin to outgrow their pots. This is an excellent time to introduce the plants that you’ve loved in your containers into the beds in your garden. If need be, purchase more of the same plant to group together in 3’s. Some larger plants, however, stand visually on their own, without more of their kind.

When combining evergreen plants together, either in a single pot or in groups, play up diversity. Be inventive by pairing a broad-leaf with a fine soft texture. Create drama by using an upright habit with a trailing, cascading groundcover at it’s feet. Try not to have two different plants with similar habits and color in the same grouping. Aim for contrast.

If you want to combine containers in groups, there are a few guidelines to remember:

-Decide ahead of time what style or mood you want to express. Don’t make the mistake of trying to express too much. Stick to your theme.

-Follow one theme in a given visual space. For instance, if you are planning containers for your entire patio, carry out the same theme throughout, repeating the same plants in varying combination for each grouping.

-The more pots you have in a group, the bigger the largest pot should be. Aim for significant size difference in each pot.

-If you are unsure of mixing your pot styles together in the group, choose all one style of pot in graduated sizes. You can create plenty of artistry and variation with the right selection of plants.

-Don’t mix more than two pot styles together in a grouping, (unless you really know what you’re doing)

-Coordinate colors of pots with the colors of your plants for a sophisticated look. If you see a blue conifer you simply must feature, try to find a blue pot in similar tones, using it else where in the grouping, to accent your adored little tree.

Imagine planting your evergreen container garden now, and having all that stunning texture and color on the Darkest of Winter Days. Picture tucking a few summer annuals in those same pots and enjoying low maintenance color through the summer, and… those same colorful, lively, fantastically faithful evergreens being there next year, when the annuals and perennials fade once again.

Now take your imagination, and run with it. You will, I think, be very glad you did.  

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