Revamp your containers for winter for a quick gardening fix that gives you a fabulous scene to look out on over the Christmas holiday season. You'll find dozens of lovely winter plants now in stock in your favourite garden centre, so get yourself down there and take your pick: add a handsome container or two and your container displays can have as much winter wow factor as they do in summer.
If you're short of ideas - here are a few combinations you could try:
Berry nice: Winter cherry (Solanum capsicastrum), Skimmia japonica 'Rubella' and Senecio maritima
The orange bobbles of winter cherry dance above glossy evergreen skimmia foliage, while silvery senecio makes the whole display shimmer.
Christmas class: Cornus alba 'Elegantissima', Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), yucca (Yucca filamentosa 'Golden Sword'), Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby'
Vibrant scarlet dogwood stems and spiky yellow yucca shoot skywards from low-growing bergenia and tiny, dense evergreen Japanese holly. Add a bauble or two for a truly festive feel.
Festive fragrance: Christmas box (Sarcococca confusa), Skimmia 'Thereza', Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'
Christmas box flowers may be tiny but fill your garden with sweet fragrance. Grassy carex makes a lovely soft golden backdrop, picked up nicely by the creamy-green flowers of the skimmia.
