14 Cheerful Winter Container Gardens

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated November 03, 2019

Create bountiful outdoor winter arrangements with a little help from Mother Nature.

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Wheelbarrow container

This vintage wheelbarrow, which holds annual flowers during the summer, gets a wintry update with branches of noble fir, Port Orford cedar, dried eucalyptus and winterberry holly.

Tip Though wind, ice and snow are formidable enemies, many arrangements can last all winter. To be safe, insert plastic liner pots that are one inch smaller than your container to prevent the chance of it cracking as temperatures fluctuate.

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Pretty pots

Spikes of cardinal dogwood brighten Fraser fir, white pine, Scotch pine, winterberry holly, dyed eucalyptus and caspia.

The winter landscape designs in this slideshow came from Craig Bergmann, a Wilmette, Illinois, landscape architect. Craig's garden creations overflow with evergreen scent and colorful bursts of the unexpected. 

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Welcoming wall

A wire wall container, lined with moss and filled with florist foam, showcases Fraser fir, burgundy-dyed eucalyptus, purple caspia, winterberry holly and poppy pods.

Tip Mix live and dried materials for an arrangement that's both fragrant and tactile. Snip late-season flowers, such as hydrangea, allium and astilbe, and preserve them by drying in a warm place. At the end of September, stop deadheading roses, spurring them to produce colorful rose hips, which you can use in winter containers.

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Elegant urn

Caspia (Limonium latifolium) and pinecones wired to wood picks accent spruce and cedar branches tucked into florist foam.

Tip Pack tightly so you can remove branches past their prime and still have a full arrangement all season.

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Festive evergreen

Make a potted (or cut) Fraser fir merry with dried artichokes and pear gourds, dyed eucalyptus, caspia, astilbe seedpods, dried hydrangea blooms and a pinecone garland.

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Magical mix

Textures abound from spruce, silver fir, Port Orford cedar, juniper and 'Stoneham gold' cedar branches accented by orange-hue eucalyptus, caspia and Southern magnolia leaves.

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Bowlful of nature

Layer pinecones, rose hips, dried pomegranates, sweetgum pods and moss for this easy look.

Tip Use materials from your garden first, then accent with others shown here (available at crafts stores or through your local florist).

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Bursts of color

This multihued arrangement sings with gold and orange accents. Rose hips, yellow dogwood branches, dried astilbe, goldenrod and bittersweet combine with Fraser fir, juniper and 'Stoneham gold' cedar branches.

Tip Mist berries beforehand with a commercially available wax spray (check with your local florist) to lock in moisture and keep them on their branches throughout the season.

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Branch beauty

Branches of corkscrew willow and yellow dogwood shoot out of a pot filled with bittersweet, cedar, Southern magnolia, eucalyptus and dried hydrangea.

Tip Holiday containers needn't stick to a red-and-green color scheme. For different combos, try birch branches, corkscrew willow, yellow dogwood, bittersweet, goldenrod, dried 'Autumn Joy' sedum, tree bark and lichen.

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Driftwood accents

Birch branches and driftwood pieces with colorful lichen give shape to an arrangement of juniper and Scotch pine.

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Spikes and berries

Cardinal dogwood spikes tower about a Fraser fir and winterberry holly pairing.

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Modern flair

A geometric bowl gives modern flair to a combination of Port Orford cedar, yellow dogwood branches, deodar cedar, driftwood, moss-covered fruitwood and assorted pinecones.

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Instant hospitality

A no-fuss pairing of Port Orford cedar and winterberry holly stems provides a festive touch to a front entry.

Tip Expecting holiday houseguests? A front porch container overflowing with evergreens and plant materials from your garden provides an instant welcome.

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Simple beauty

Containers don't need to be complicated to be beautiful. White pine branches spilling out of a window box are simple yet elegant with a fresh coat of snow.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com