Evergreens can be extremely versatile in containers. Jessie used a Leyland cypress planted in a container with some English ivy -- a good example of using the right-size plant to match the container and the location. The Alberta spruce is also a great specimen plant that can make a bold statement in a garden setting.Now let’s get started on our own evergreen container!
1. Start with a planter whose size is appropriate to that of its location and of the plants that will be used. Make sure it has drainage holes, and if you're going to be moving it around, pick one that's made of a lightweight material such as foam, resin or plastic.
2. An all-purpose potting soil is fine to use in the container. Make sure you add moisture-retaining polymer granules to the soil before potting the plants; they'll prevent the container from drying out during the hottest and coldest months of the year. While you're at it, add a sprinkling of time-release fertilizer to the soil. Just be sure to add another layer of soil to prevent the fertilizer from burning the roots.
3. Now it’s time to choose the plants. Here are some points to consider:
- Evergreens tend to grow slowly in a container, so find plants that are close to the size you what them to be.
- For our container, we wanted to use evergreens of varying sizes, colors and textures that would all do well in full sun to partial shade.
- For height we planted a small boxwood and juniper in the center and surrounded them with a miniature cotoneaster and a blue rug juniper for a trailing effect.
- For color we added a gold juniper species and a small burgundy barberry shrub to complete the look.
- We finished off our evergreen container with a layer of coarse pine bark for added moisture retention. It also really enhances the look of the plants!
Here are the basics to remember for creating your own evergreen container:
- Evergreens are not just landscape shrubs. Use a variety for accent plants in your container.
- Be sure to choose plants that are approximately the size you need for your container.
- Pine bark is a great material to use as mulch for your container.
