I am a big fan of flowers and greenery in outdoor spaces. Much like a wreath, I think planters are a decorative addition that adds impact to otherwise plain and often monochromatic spaces (large green lawns, grey cement paths or neutral decks).
When it comes to planter decor, the world is your oyster. You can go neutral and modern, traditional, colourful, minimalist, or you can change season to season. During the winter I like to stick with a greenery focussed planter with natural embellishments (pine cones, twigs, birch sticks and a few berries). This look went perfectly with the winter woodland theme I have running from outside to inside.
In terms of vessels, I currently have two traditional style urns on the porch and a more modern, woven planter on the outdoor patio space at the front of the house. I decided to go with more of an embellished look for the urns, as they are in a covered space and a more neutral look in the outside planter.
*One of the urns on the porch (above).
Planters are quite easy to create. They hardest part is choosing the style or look you would like and then gathering your materials! Ultimately, you want your finished planter to be two times the height of the vessel you use for balance, so the greens and embellishments you choose will need to have some length.
Here's a sample of items to get started:
Greenery is key: I like to use about 4-5 different varieties of greenery, varying the colour and frond or leaf type to add a textured, but still monochromatic look. You want some branch types that will drape and some that are more rigid and will provide height and structure to the planter. Most of my greenery is foraged from the neighbourhood. All the rest was purchased at Home Depot for a pretty reasonable price.
The picture below shows 2 of the different varieties of cedar branches I picked out (bottom centre and top right). I really liked that the bottom cedar branches had yellow seed pods at the tip of each needle. I think it added a nice hint of colour. The top cedar is long and feather like adding a perfect draping feel and some height to the planters.
In the next photo below, you can see 2 varieties of fir branches (bottom left and middle right). The bottom variety of fir is a more minty colour. It came from a local tree after a particularly bad wind storm. The other fir is a Noble Fir. It has much denser needles and is a more medium green colour. This fir also provided the back and height for the planters and the branches are quite rigid.
The 2 remaining greens I used were pine branches (top centre, below) and holly (in planter with lantern). Both of these greens came from neighbourhood trees, some that had fallen during some recent storms and the holly was from a lovely neighbour.
Other great options include boxwood and eucalyptus for colour and leaf variation.
Aside from the greenery, you will also need:
Floral Foam to cover the top of your planter (this is optional, however I chose to use it in the urns that are in a covered space, not in the outdoor planter), soaked for at least 30 minutes to one hour before use. *Tip: do not push foam down in the water, gently place it in a large pail and let it slowly sink to the bottom - it will absorb and maintain more liquid this way.
Sticks and Birch Logs, for height. This year, I picked some sticks up at the dollar store that were glittered and had pretty red bells attached. Places like Home Sense (Home Goods in the US) also have many neutral and coloured sticks available)
Embellishments (berry picks, pine cones, lanterns, feathers, birdhouses, faux birds, etc) - this is entirely up to you and your vision, get creative!
Spray Snow, for a wintery feel. I live in Vancouver and snow in late fall/early winter is not common, so I used a few sprays of faux snow to add a bit of texture and fun to the urns.
Here's How To Start:
Step 1: Cut away any plants or perennials, leaving small stems (yes, you can create these planters over top of any dormant spring plants and bulbs, see 1" grass stems in photo above). Add birch logs, if using. Push log as far down into the soil as possible, depending on the length of your log. You still want the height, so use foam to stabilize shorter logs, instead of soil.
Step 2: If using wet floral foam, place on top of soil (photo above). Ensure top of foam is level with top of vessel. If not using foam, ensure that soil is watered and topped up until flush with the vessel rim.
Step 3: Start layering branches in a circular direction starting with a draping lower layer (see above). Before placing branches into the planter, cut all branch bottoms on a 45 degree angle and clear away all extra bottom leaves or needles so that you have a stick like end to push deep into the foam or soil directly. I used 2 varieties of cedar for this layer.
Step 4: Now layer in pine. These branches were also draping, but they were smaller, providing a bit more height than the first layer.
Step 5: Add fir, filling in gaps and providing some height (see photo below). I also used a few more pieces of cedar for additional height at the back of the planter.
Step 6: Add sticks and additional materials for height (see below).
Step 7: Fill in gaps with branches until you can no longer see the soil or foam.
Step 8: Add embellishments (see photo below).
Or keep embellishments to a minimum leaving the majority of the planter a natural green look for a more modern feel (photo below).
Remember to water your planters, especially if under a covered space when they feel dry, about once a week. This will extend the life of your greens and keep needles from dropping! You can also spray your greens with a no wilt or drop spry to extend their life. Spray can be found at most nurseries.
Good luck planting! Remember winter planters are meant to look rustic and add colour to shorter, darker days. Have fun creating. If you do try making some winter planters, make sure to send your photos or post at #mykuratedlife. I love to see the creation you make!
Happy Decorating,
Krista
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